Step One

The Property

$
%
%
%
What your down payment would earn if it stayed invested instead. A GIC investor might enter 4, an index investor 7, others higher.
Amortization is the full payoff schedule. Your mortgage term — typically five years — is only how long the rate is locked. Set your renewal-rate assumption under advanced assumptions.
Step Two

Ownership Costs

Optional. An average annual allowance for levies.
Net of suite expenses and income tax. Leave at zero if there is no suite. Grows at the same rate as rent.
How long do you expect to live here?
10years
151015202530
Or type a year
After 10 Years
Owning
—
estimated net wealth
Renting
—
estimated net wealth
—
—
—
—
Year 10 — What It Costs Each Month

The Monthly Reality

Owning—
Total monthly cost—
Renting—
Rent—
Total monthly cost—
Owning
Renting
Year 10 Snapshot

Where The Money Stands

Estimated Home Value
—
Mortgage Remaining
—
Homeowner Equity
—
Renter's Portfolio
—
down payment + monthly savings, invested
Interest Paid To Date
—
Principal Repaid
—
Total Rent Paid
—
Ownership Expenses
—
taxes, fees, insurance, upkeep
Selling Costs If Sold
—
Net Proceeds If Sold
—
Advanced Assumptions+
Growth Rates
Enter your own view, or a long-run historical average for the area. The break-even readout above shows the minimum this home actually needs.
Set to 0 if the money sits in a TFSA or RRSP. Around 20 is typical for a taxable account. A principal residence is already tax-free, so this is what levels the comparison.
Applied to insurance, maintenance, repairs, landscaping.
Mortgage Renewal
Rate assumed at each five-year renewal after the first term.
Transaction Costs
Legal, inspection, appraisal, adjustments.
Commission plus GST and legal. Vancouver typically lands near 3–3.5%.
This tool is a planning model, not financial advice. Projections depend entirely on the assumptions entered and actual results will differ.

The most important assumption: the renting side assumes every dollar saved by not owning is invested, every month, without exception. Most renters do not do this. If the money is spent instead, the renting outcome shown here will not materialize.

Investment returns are modelled as a steady annual rate. Real markets do not behave this way, and the order in which good and bad years arrive materially changes the outcome. Mortgage payments use Canadian semi-annual compounding, monthly frequency only. CMHC premiums are estimated for down payments under 20% and added to the mortgage; insured mortgages are generally limited to a 25-year amortization apart from specific exemptions, which this model does not enforce. First-time buyer and newly-built-home Property Transfer Tax exemptions, the BC Home Owner Grant, and GST on new construction are not included. Suite income should be entered net of expenses and income tax. All figures are in future dollars and are not adjusted for inflation. Talk to your lender, accountant, and REALTOR® before making decisions.