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Should You Rent or Buy?

Should you rent or should you buy your home? It takes more than looking at your mortgage payment to answer this question. This calculator helps you weed through the fees, taxes, and monthly payments to help you make a good financial decision. Click the "View Report" button for a detailed look at the results.

Definitions

Price of home

Purchase price of the home you wish to buy.

Cash on hand

Cash you have for the down payment and closing costs.

Interest rate

The current interest rate you can receive on your mortgage.

Term in years

The number of years over which you will repay this loan.

Property tax rate

Your property tax rate. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000 per year in property taxes.

Home insurance rate

Your homeowner's insurance rate. 0.5% for a $100,000 home equals $500 per year for homeowner's insurance.

Loan origination rate

The percentage the lending institution charges for its origination fee. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000.

Points paid

The total number of points paid to reduce the interest rate of your mortgage. Each point costs 1% of your mortgage balance.

Other closing costs

Estimate of all other closing costs for this loan. This should include filing fees, appraiser fees and any other miscellaneous fees paid.

Total closing costs

Total upfront costs to close your loan. This is the sum of the loan origination fee, amount paid for points and other closing costs.

Total for down payment

Total funds remaining for down payment.

Mortgage amount

Total amount of loan.

Investment return

The rate of return you could receive if you invested your closing costs and down payment instead of purchasing a home.

The actual rate of return is largely dependant on the type of investments you select. From January 1970 to December 2003, the average compounded rate of return for the S&P 500, including reinvestment of dividends, was approximately 11.7% per year. During this period, the highest 12-month return was 64%, and the lowest was -39%. Savings accounts at a bank pay as little as 1% or less. It is important to remember that future rates of return can't be predicted with certainty and that investments that pay higher rates of return are subject to higher risk and volatility. The actual rate of return on investments can vary widely over time, especially for long-term investments. This includes the potential loss of principal on your investment.

Monthly rent payment

Amount you currently pay for rent per month.

Income tax rate

Your current marginal income tax rate.

Expected inflation rate

Inflation rate used to adjust amounts subject to annual increases. These amounts include rent, insurance and tax payments.

Home appreciates at

Annual appreciation you expect in the home you are purchasing.

Future sales commission

The percent of your home's selling price you expect to pay to a broker or real estate agent when you sell your home.

House payment

Total of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) paid per month for your home. Insurance includes Principal Mortgage Insurance (PMI) and homeowner's insurance.

Principal payment

Total of principal paid per month on your mortgage.

Tax savings

The value of the tax deduction you receive on your mortgage's interest and home's property taxes. For example, if you have $900 in interest and $100 property taxes per month, the value of the tax deduction would be $280. (At a tax rate of 28%).

Net house payment

Your house payment minus the value of the tax deduction and principal payment.

Net home price

Net selling price of your home after subtracting any sales commissions.

Monthly PI

Monthly principal and interest payment.

Monthly PMI

Monthly cost of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). For loans secured with less than 20% down, PMI is estimated at 0.5% of your loan balance each year.

The mortgage calculators are provided by KJE Computer Solutions, LLC and made available to NUMBER1EXPERT as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We can't guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.

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Working With An Agent >Listening To Your Needs Some buyers purchase the exact kind of house they said they were looking for, in the neighborhood they preferred. Other buyers surprise us by falling in love with a house that is the complete opposite of what they originally wanted. Real estate agents listen carefully when buyers describe their needs and preferences. We screen our current inventory of homes to come up with possible matches. Since there is almost always some compromise involved when selecting a home, we may suggest alternatives that might work for buyers. If you like a specific neighborhood where there are no homes in your price range, we may suggest homes in other areas with similar amenities. If you want four bedrooms, and one of them will be used as a home office, we may look for a den or family room that could serve your needs. When you look at houses, remember that your feedback is important to us--and it won't hurt our feelings. See All Tips In The "Working With An Agent" Category > See Complete Library Of Hundreds Of Tips In 30+ Categories >

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Bonnie Fagoh C21 Beggins 6542 US Hwy 41 N Apollo Beach, FL 33572 813-658-1344 Fax: 813-645-8892 BonnieFagoh@NUMBER1EXPERT.com Bonnie Fagoh Awarded Centurion ** Bonnie Fagoh of Tampa Coastal Homes at Century 21 Beggins in Apollo Beach Florida has been awarded Centurion level recognition for 2009*** In a year that experts have noted as a difficult one, Bonnie has quietly gone on with what she loves and that is helping families find fantastic opportunity in this coastal community and it shows! She had her best year yet in 2009. "What I have found in 2009 is that many people are very frustrated with the "foreclosure bargains" that they have considered, only to find after many aggravating months and much frustration with the lenders that it is just not worth the wait. They miss out on some great buys waiting on short sale approval, or are outbid on a bank owned property. Of course, these distressed properties are "as is", in need of repair and neglected so they may not be the "best deal". I have helped families buy brand new homes with full warranties and close in 30 to 45 days. (Many short sales take 4 to 6 months or more and can "fall apart" right at closing). Some big national builders need to keep the scaled down workforce busy even if that means selling at a loss (under replacement cost). Several builders have bought lots at a drastically discounted price from other builders, so now thay can offer a buyer a new home at a very attractive price." "The hassle of liens and second mortgages etc... does not exist with these brand new bargains." Of course all the normal due diligence has to be performed. For example, what is the history of the neighborhood? Many of these factors cannot be determined from photos or a written description... No, in today's market as competitive as it is it pays to go with a pro that is very knowledgeable about the local area. You need to know that a realtor is serious about the profession. " I have lived in my area over 20 years and in Tampa Bay for over 44 years so the trends to me are clear, says Bonnie. Ask how was your 2009?" www.TAMPACOASTALHOMES.COM is brought to you by Bonnie Fagoh NUMBER1EXPERT™ for Tampa homes for sale, Apollo Beach homes for sale, and Fishhawk homes for sale, Florida - Tampa Bay Real Estate, Tampa Luxury Villas FL Read Bonnie Fagoh's Privacy Guarantee, Terms of Service, and Free & Without Obligation Pledge

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