>$575k house, 20% down = $2,012/mo; 0% down = $2,052/mo
>$250k house, 20% down = $875/mo; 0% down = $892/mo
>
>These both presume you _have_ the 20% to put down, so don't use the 0%
>number if you actually don't have a down payment (the numbers in that
>case are $2411 and $1049, still not strikingly different).
plus PMI, etc. and it's *still* a bigger bargain to buy a $249k house, condo, town home, whatever around here than it is to rent. Renting a $249k house will ding you about $2000, a $249 condo, about $1500. With the tax savings, etc. you're ahead. Plus, when you do have to move, even if your home doesn't appreciate that much, it's not like you got zip. You recuperate some of it with the equity, even if small -- if I'm not mistaken. You can get good bargains renting, if you work at it, but it's a lot of work running around to do it.
I put a pic of my new environs on the blog. more later.
Bitch | Lab http://blog.pulpculture.org (NSFW)