2013 Rent Vs Buy
To Rent or To Buy? That Is the Question While sources may differ about how positive the move in the residential housing market has been, they mostly concur that the worst is behind us and we are in recovery. Last year ended on a positive note, with C.A.R. reporting a 27 percent year-over-year increase in median price, and this year is not off to a bad start, with a January median price of $337,040—24 percent higher than the January 2012 median price. Home sales made more modest progress, ending 2012 with a one percent year-over-year gain in December. Due to the constrained supply of inventory, sales declined to 491,720 in January 2013—a 3.9 percent drop from 511,760 a year ago. Exhibit 1: Median Home Price and Home Sales With the housing market on its way to prosperity again, consumers are contemplating whether it is more beneficial to buy a property now or continue renting. To assist with this decision, C.A.R. has looked at the costs and benefits...