I’m with Navydoc on this although I might be willing to go a little higher (on the down payment or the monthly) if I really dig the place. Not having to deal with landlords is worth some small premium I think. That is, of course, after adding in taxes and insurance (no more HOAs for me).
When I bought my place in 1998 it was actually MORE expensive to rent than to buy. I put 20% down, did a 15-year loan and shaved about $350 from my monthly rent. I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years, how time flies.
