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Deciding whether to rent or buy a piece of property is one of the biggest financial decisions anyone can make. Consider several factors when making this decision. Your decision to rent or buy a home may depend on how fast prices and rents increase and how long you stay in your home. In certain circumstances, renting rather than buying may be more advantageous. It’s best to compare the cost of renting to the cost of buying a home by adding up all the required expenses for each option.  You’ll need to factor in the cost of rent, a security deposit and expected rent increases versus all the expenses that go into buying a home, including your monthly mortgage payment, purchase price of the home, property value appreciation, the interest rate you will pay on your loan, your marginal tax rate and the yield you might receive on savings. When looking at these factors, consider each option's present and potential future value. The better financial choice is the one with the lower present value and the best long-term potential. Use our Rent vs. buy calculator to compare the cost of renting and buying in your area based on various factors. The results will show you how much you will pay over the years to own a piece of property compared to how much you will have to spend over the same period to rent a home or apartment. Enter the following information to see your results:

The primary factors to consider when determining how much you can afford to spend on a home include your income and monthly debt obligations (car payments, student loans, credit cards, etc.), how much money you have for a down payment and your specific financial goals. Various loan programs are available, offering a range of options for different situations.  Ultimately, the best way to understand what is right for you is to talk to a licensed loan officer who can help you explore and understand what is right for you. If you are pre-approved for a mortgage loan, use the Ent Mortgage Payment Calculator to estimate your monthly mortgage payment to figure out how much you need to pay every month. Your monthly payment goes towards the principal balance on your mortgage and the interest accrued during the last billing period. Pay your mortgage on time every month to avoid compound interest and late fees. Once you pay off the mortgage in full after a certain number of years, you will own the home outright. Enter the following information to get started:

One of the most important questions consumers ask themselves is, “How much money will the sale of my home yield?” This is largely dependent on two things: The amount you still owe on the home and what you will have to pay your realtor for selling the home. Life events, such as a job relocation or a change in financial circumstances, can also impact the timing and financial outcome of your home sale. If you have a second mortgage or a home equity loan on the property, you will have to pay that off when you sell the home. When you sell a home, you will also have to pay interest on your outstanding mortgage balance from the date of your last payment until the time of the sale. You are also liable for property taxes up to the day you sell the home. At times, sellers have additional expenses. Local governments will often require that you pay a transfer tax when the home is sold. Incidental closing costs may also nibble at your proceeds.

Repayment of a home equity line of credit requires that the borrower makes a monthly payment to the lender. For some home equity lines of credit, borrowers can make interest-only payments for a defined period, after which a repayment period begins. Interest-only payments are based on the outstanding loan balance and interest rate. During the repayment period, the payment includes both repayment of the loan principal, plus monthly interest on the outstanding balance. Loan payments for the repayment period are amortized so that the monthly payment remains the same throughout the repayment period, but during that time, the percentage of the amount that goes towards principal will increase as the outstanding mortgage balance decreases.

Your monthly auto loan payment is based on the net purchase price of the vehicle, the loan term and the interest rate for the loan. The loan amount is based on the net purchase price of the vehicle (plus sales tax) or the vehicle price less any cash rebate, trade-in or down payment. If you have an outstanding balance on the vehicle you trade-in, that amount is added to the price of the vehicle you are purchasing.

The first step towards a better financial quality of life is knowing where you stand. Take this quiz to see your financial health score.

Debt consolidation involves merging several debts into a single debt, often with a lower interest rate and more favorable terms. It is a strategic financial move where an individual merges credit card balances, personal loans or medical bills, into a single debt with a structured repayment plan. Usually, the new loan has a lower interest rate than the average interest rates of the individual debts being consolidated. If you want to simplify your debt management, use the debt consolidation calculator. It will show you how to reduce the overall cost of getting out of debt.