Find Your Property

The River Valley Group Blog

Is it better to rent or buy?

Deciding on whether to buy or rent is one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make!

At some point in life many adults will have an important decision to make: should you buy or rent a home? There are many significant points to consider and there really is no completely right answer. Renting may be the best option for some while buying is the preferable path to take. 

A Forbes.com article released in March 2014 stated that buying a home is now '38% cheaper than renting in the US.' This statistic is based on mortgage rates and home prices in the country, primarily among the 100 largest metro areas. Therefore, how much cheaper or expensive buying is compared to renting can and will change throughout the year. 

It's important to keep in mind that there are several costs associated with both buying and renting. Let's start with renting...

Cost of renting

Rent. As a renter you will obviously have to pay rent to the landlord, which is usually in monthly increments. The lease that you the tenant and your landlord signs will detail how much rent is due every month and the late fee payment.

Utilities. On top of rent you will most likely have to pay utilities, including water, electricity, gas, trash, Internet, cable, etc. Some landlords will bundle utilities with the price of rent.

Broker's fee. If a broker helped you find a place to rent you should expect to pay a fee to the broker for their time and help. This is common with relocations and situations where the tenant isn't familiar enough with the area.

Renter's insurance. Many landlords will require you purchase renter's insurance to protect you and the property from potential damage.

Cost of buying

Mortgage payments. Unless you pay for your home in cash you will have mortgage payments to make. These payments will be...

Our Latest Videos

Keep up with the latest video updates from the River Valley Team.

What Is My Home Worth?

Our professional analysis will include data on recent solds and current market trends.

Meet Heidi Fore

New Listing Email Alerts

Be the first to know as soon as new listings hit the market -- fast, easy, automatic and free.

Get New Listings