VACATION HOME GROUP · FREE DECISION TOOL

Stop guessing.
Know whether to
rent or buy.

Model your total after-tax wealth across both paths — maintenance, time, taxes, investing, and every hidden cost. Then get a personalized AI-written analysis specific to your situation. Real numbers before you make the biggest financial decision of your life.

30yr
Projection Window
36
Input Fields
360
Month Amortization
AI-Powered Summary
What-If Scenarios
WHAT'S INCLUDED

Everything you need to make
the right housing decision

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Situation Questionnaire

Five quick questions about your goals, timeline, and priorities. Your answers personalize the AI Summary and help frame the numbers in the context of your actual life.

AI-Powered Summary

After running your numbers, get a plain-English written analysis from Claude AI — personalized to your situation, with specific watch-outs and next steps. Adjust tone, focus, and length.

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After-Tax Wealth Comparison

Side-by-side net worth after taxes for both paths over your full time horizon. Models capital gains exclusion, Roth vs. Traditional vs. taxable portfolio splits, and your tax bracket.

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Full PITI + True Cost

Mortgage P&I, property tax (% or $ mode), insurance, PMI, and HOA — every component shown. Add maintenance, time value of ownership, closing costs, and selling costs for the real number.

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What-If Sensitivity Sliders

Drag appreciation, investment return, and time horizon sliders to instantly see how the verdict shifts. Explore scenarios without changing your saved inputs.

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Price-to-Rent Ratio

Auto-calculated PTR with color-coded zones and a 60-metro reference grid. Instantly see whether your market leans toward buying or renting compared to national benchmarks.

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Break-Even Timeline

Visual timeline showing the exact year buying surpasses renting in wealth. Critical for anyone who might move in under 10 years — the most overlooked factor in the rent vs. buy decision.

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Shareable URL

Every input encoded in the URL — share your exact scenario with a partner, advisor, or agent. Bookmark it to return to your numbers later. No account required.

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Email My Results

Send a formatted summary of your analysis to your inbox. Includes your scenario snapshot, key numbers, and a link to reopen your exact inputs. Plus a personal follow-up from our team.

SIMPLE PROCESS

From inputs to decision
in under 5 minutes

1

Answer 5 Quick Questions

Tell us your situation — timeline, priorities, and what's holding you back. Takes 30 seconds and personalizes everything that follows, including the AI analysis.

2

Enter Your Numbers

Rent, home price, down payment, rate, taxes, HOA, and how much you'd actually invest. Every field has a tooltip. Results update live as you type.

3

Set Your Time Horizon

How long are you comparing? Adjust appreciation, investment return, and tax assumptions. Use the What-If sliders to explore scenarios instantly.

4

Read Your Verdict

The Live Scorecard shows after-tax net worth, break-even year, true monthly cost, and a plain-English verdict — all updating in real time.

5

Get Your AI Summary

One click generates a personalized written analysis from Claude AI — specific to your numbers and situation profile. Copy or print a branded PDF to share with your partner or advisor.

6

Save & Share

Use the 🔗 Share button to encode your entire scenario in a URL — bookmark it, text it to a partner, or email it to an agent. No account needed.

FREE DOWNLOADS

Resources & Legal

User Manual, Glossary, Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy — everything you need in one place.

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User Manual

Field-by-field guide to all seven tabs including the new Situation Questionnaire and AI Summary. Covers Tax Analysis, portfolio allocation, primary residence CGE, and the net worth trajectory chart.

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Abbreviations & Glossary

Plain-English definitions for every abbreviation — P&I, PITI, PMI, MID, HOA, CGE, LTCG, SALT, MFJ, TCJA, IRA, 401k, and 25+ more — with the 2024 federal tax bracket and capital gains rate tables.

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Terms of Service

Covers permitted use, the educational-only nature of this tool, no financial advice disclaimer, limitation of liability, intellectual property, and governing law (State of New Hampshire). Effective April 10, 2026.

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Privacy Policy

Explains what data we collect, how email and preferences are used for personalized market analysis, and your rights. Your calculator inputs never leave your browser. We do not sell your information. Effective April 10, 2026.

Prefer to read in-app? The covers the calculator documentation inside the app.