Renting isn't "throwing money away"
"You're just paying someone else's mortgage" is the most repeated line in real estate — and it skips half the math.
Owning carries its own costs that build no equity: mortgage interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, maintenance, and the closing costs you pay just to get in and out. In the early years of a loan, most of your payment goes to interest, not principal.
Whether buying beats renting comes down almost entirely to how long you'll stay. Stay long enough to clear your buying and selling costs and owning usually wins; sell too soon and renting often comes out ahead.
The Rent vs Buy calculator finds your personal break-even year, so the decision rests on your numbers — not a slogan.
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