Thank you for using numbers in your argument. Too often all the rent-vs-buy discussion is little more than magical aphorisms about "flushing rent money down the

Thank you for using numbers in your argument. Too often all the rent-vs-buy discussion is little more than magical aphorisms about "flushing rent money down the toilet" and "at least I'm building equity" and "buying always works better in the long run". The point is that relative prices change over time. There is no one answer that is always correct. Sometimes relative prices renting is clearly cheaper, even long-term. Sometimes relative prices mean buying is clearly cheaper, even short-term. Housing prices don't necessarily increase every year forever. Rents don't necessarily increase every year forever. Interest rates rise and fall. Economic booms and busts are unpredictable and can outlast your personal planning horizon.