Buy Now or Wait?

Cost of Waiting Calculator

Compare buying today against waiting for lower rates, with appreciation, the larger down payment a higher price needs, and the rent paid while waiting.

20%

Today's average as of September 23, 2026. Adjust to your quote.

The Wait

Points below today's rate. Nobody can promise this.

Can be negative. Prices fall as well as rise, and this assumption drives the answer.

What they pay to live somewhere in the meantime

Results

Difference after 3 years

$22,165.68

Between buying today and waiting

On these assumptions, buying now leaves them about $22,166 better off after 3 years. That holds while prices rise faster than 1.5% a year — below that, waiting wins.

Payment If They Buy Now

$4,365.93

Payment If They Wait

$4,317.07

Buy now

Purchase Price$800,000
Rate7.25%
Cash Down$160,000
Equity After 3 Years$279,901.86

Wait, then buy

Purchase Price$832,000
Rate6.75%
Cash Down$166,400
Extra Cash Needed$6,400
Rent Paid While Waiting$38,400
Equity After 3 Years$248,972.38

What it turns on

Buying now wins above1.5% a year

Appreciation is an assumption, not a forecast, and it drives this answer more than the rate does. Prices fall as well as rise. Closing costs, maintenance, and tax treatment are not modelled, and no one can promise a future rate.

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FAQ

Cost of Waiting Calculator Questions

Straight answers from a California mortgage broker.

Yes, and this calculator will say so. If prices stay flat or fall, or the rate drop is large enough, waiting comes out ahead. Enter 0% appreciation and see. The figure it reports is the difference in net position after three years, not an argument for one answer.
Because a buyer who waits still lives somewhere. Leaving that cost out prices the waiting months at zero and makes waiting look better than it is. Both paths are valued on the same date, so the only differences are the price paid, the rate, the cash down, and where they lived in between.
The annual home appreciation at which both paths come out level. Above it, buying now is ahead; below it, waiting is. It is the most useful number here, because it states the assumption the whole comparison depends on rather than hiding it inside a dollar figure.
No. It is arithmetic on assumptions you enter. Nobody knows where rates or prices go. Use it to show a buyer how much the decision depends on those assumptions, and how much room there is either way.

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This information is not intended to be an indication of loan qualification, loan approval or commitment to lend. Rates, terms, and availability of programs are subject to change without notice.

Reviewed by Joann Ton, Loan Officer (NMLS# 1461031) | Last updated: September 2026