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The Mez Ledger
Thursday, August 20, 2026
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Rent vs Buy
Renting is not throwing money away and owning is not free — both carry costs that compound over decades. This compares the total cost of each path over your horizon, including the return you give up by locking cash into a down payment.
Result
Total cost over 10 years
Rent — cheapest
$309,210
net cost after equity & opportunity cost
| Total spent | $309,210 |
| Cash needed up front | $1,760 |
Condo
$335,774
net cost after equity & opportunity cost
| Total spent | $638,717 |
| Equity at end | $380,201 |
| Opportunity cost | $77,258 |
| Cash needed up front | $117,440 |
| Payment jump at renewal | +$265.36/mo |
House
$370,521
net cost after equity & opportunity cost
| Total spent | $839,369 |
| Equity at end | $589,301 |
| Opportunity cost | $120,453 |
| Cash needed up front | $183,100 |
| Payment jump at renewal | +$398.04/mo |
Trajectory
Net cost by year
Breakdown
Where the money goes
Rent
Month one
| Rent | $1,900.00 |
| Electricity | $120.00 |
| Internet | $80.00 |
| Renter's insurance | $20.00 |
Over 10 years
| Rent over horizon | $265,509 |
| Utilities | $38,128 |
| Insurance | $3,813 |
| Furnishings (one-time) | $1,760 |
Condo
Month one
| Mortgage payment | $2,492.87 |
| • Interest (mo 1) | $1,820.00 |
| • Principal (mo 1) | $672.87 |
| • Payment after renewal | $2,758.23 |
| Property tax | $390.00 |
| Home insurance | $43.54 |
| Electricity | $120.00 |
| Heating/gas | $80.00 |
| Water/sewer | $60.00 |
| Internet | $80.00 |
| HOA / condo fees (yr1) | $450.00 |
| General maintenance | $151.67 |
| Major repairs (amortized) | $80.56 |
Over 10 years
| Mortgage paid over horizon | $315,066 |
| • Interest portion | $215,701 |
| • Principal portion | $99,365 |
| Property tax | $55,939 |
| Insurance | $8,301 |
| Utilities | $46,298 |
| HOA / condo fees (with escalation) | $153,860 |
| General maintenance | $30,456 |
| Major repairs (amortized) | $15,357 |
| Closing costs (one-time) | $10,400 |
| Furnishings (one-time) | $3,040 |
House
Month one
| Mortgage payment | $3,739.31 |
| • Interest (mo 1) | $2,730.00 |
| • Principal (mo 1) | $1,009.31 |
| • Payment after renewal | $4,137.35 |
| Property tax | $715.00 |
| Home insurance | $87.08 |
| Electricity | $120.00 |
| Heating/gas | $80.00 |
| Water/sewer | $60.00 |
| Internet | $80.00 |
| Lawn / yard | $120.00 |
| General maintenance | $650.00 |
| Major repairs (amortized) | $143.47 |
Over 10 years
| Mortgage paid over horizon | $472,599 |
| • Interest portion | $323,551 |
| • Principal portion | $149,048 |
| Property tax | $102,554 |
| Insurance | $16,602 |
| Utilities | $46,298 |
| Lawn / yard | $16,341 |
| General maintenance | $130,524 |
| Major repairs (amortized) | $27,352 |
| Closing costs (one-time) | $19,500 |
| Furnishings (one-time) | $7,600 |
Beyond money
Lifestyle scorecard
Rate how much each factor matters to you (1–5), then recalculate.