I beg to differ with you BikeRider. Say you can afford to buy at Bressi Ranch. The cost to “carry” that house is $6000/month. The cost of renting the same house is $3000/mo. You’d have to be crazy to buy even if you could afford to (see related thread). I would only buy that house if I were sure that the house would appreciate a minimum of $36,000/year.

People need to learn to manage their personal finances like businesses. A business doesn’t care if it owns or rents the building that it’s located it. The important thing is the profit to the shareholders at the end of year.

Yes, you can very well judge when to jump it. Look at carrying cost of houses in your neighborhood and compare that to the rent of similar houses. Talk to people in your neighborhood and see what they are paying. Internet surfing is also a good way to find out.