March 2026 Renting vs. Buying: The Numbers Might Surprise You

Renting can feel like the easier choice right now. There’s no big down payment. No dealing with surprise repairs. And no long-term commitment. But then your rent goes up again. And again. And suddenly the thing that seemed flexible starts looking…  expensive , especially considering you’re not building any equity. And once that happens, it’s easy to feel a little trapped in the cycle. That’s because there’s so much chatter today about how buying a home isn’t affordable. But the truth is, the math may work out better than you'd expect based on what’s changed recently. Buying Is More Affordable Than Renting in Many Areas  In a lot of places today, owning a home actually costs less each month than renting a 3-bedroom home.  and recent   data   from  A TTOM   shows   that’s true in nearly 58% of counties across the U.S.  ( see chart below ). And that's  after  you factor in things like insurance and typical maintenance costs.  In o...
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Contract to Closing for Buyers


It’s both exciting and stressful negotiating a real estate purchase contract. Once it’s signed by the sellers, buyers can relax a bit, but I can’t. There are still more negotiations, document deliveries, inspections, title details and mortgage tasks to be accomplished to reach a successful closing and walk away with the keys to your new real estate property.

There are more than 50 specific due dates and tasks on our average transaction checklist, but an overview of a few includes:
  • Post contract delivery of documents to the lender and settlement attorney
  • Deposit of earnest money and delivery of receipt to the buyer client.
  • Delivery of due diligence fee to seller.
  • Helping my buyers order inspections and coordinating them and providing access to assure they’re completed on time.
  • Coordinating timely delivery of any documents objecting to disclosures, inspection results, or title binder issues discovered.
  • Coordinating appraisal and appraiser access.
  • Working with mortgage company and coordinating delivery of documents they require.
  • Assisting my buyers with any negotiations related to contingencies, inspections or documents.
  • Constant monitoring of status of all processes at the mortgage lender and settlement attorney.
There are a number of companies and people involved in a real estate transaction, including attorneys, surveyors, appraiser, title company, mortgage broker, lender, loan underwriter, both agents, and possibly others. Each has specific duties and requirements, and each is concentrating on doing a good job for you. However, their focus is narrow, targeted on their specific niche in the deal. As your buyer agent, I'm your “go-to” resource to bring it all together. I'm here to coordinate the activities of all of these companies and people for you.

I'm constantly monitoring those 50+ document delivery items and the work done by these people. Daily we check the progress against contractual deadlines and act on our project requirements. A lot of this activity goes on behind the scenes and you’re not even bothered. Some of it requires that we contact you and request documents or actions. Please understand that my overriding goal is a smooth transaction, and getting you through meeting all deadlines is one of our jobs. I’ll only bother you when necessary, telling you what I need and when, and moving you through to a successful closing.

There is a lot more, but those are the highlights, and many sub–tasks are related to each of them. I'm obsessed with proper follow–up and detailed coordination of every step of the closing process for my buyer clients. It’s critical that I make all deadlines and keep the transaction on track to avoid defaulting on any terms of the contract. I’ll keep your real estate transaction on track, and you’ll have the time and advice you need to assure you’ve covered all of the bases prior to closing.

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