Buy or Rent? Which Is Right for You?

Should you buy that first home or remain a renter? It's a classic question made much more complicated by the housing market's recent crash. How do you know if you're ready? Will you be able to afford a mortgage, and all the fees associated with securing a loan and closing? And how can you tell if the local market has fallen as far as it's going to, and that you're not overpaying?

Three young, potential homebuyers are pondering these very questions. They asked our What Works Now experts where they should buy or rent, and got some helpful answers.

Should you buy that first home or remain a renter? It's a classic question made much more complicated by the housing market's recent crash. How do you know if you're ready? Will you be able to afford a mortgage, and all the fees associated with securing a loan and closing? And how can you tell if the local market has fallen as far as it's going to, and that you're not overpaying?

Three young, potential homebuyers are pondering these very questions. They asked our What Works Now experts where they should buy or rent, and got some helpful answers.