Rent or buy. The honest math.
A short-stay buyer should rent. A multi-year resident usually shouldn't. The breakeven point in La Quinta — where total ownership cost crosses below total rental cost over the same period — typically falls between years 3 and 5 depending on price point. Run yours.
Five-year comparison
Total cost of ownership minus equity gained, vs. total cost of renting equivalent housing. The lower of the two wins.
Three things this calculator can't tell you.
How long you'll actually stay.
Buying is the right call for almost everyone planning 5+ years. It's almost always the wrong call for under 2. The 2–5 year band is where the calculator earns its keep.
The opportunity cost on your down payment.
Putting $170K into a house means $170K not in the market. At 7% expected return, that's ~$66K in foregone gains over 5 years — meaningful, and not in this calculator.
Lifestyle tax.
Owning is heavier than renting. Maintenance calls. HOA politics. The roof eventually. If your time has high opportunity cost, that's a real number — and it doesn't show up in any model.