It can be difficult for new home buyers or renters to decide what’s the better option.

Thankfully, several online guides and resources focus on renting vs. buying to help you make a sound decision.

Well, it depends on how much you already know about the subject.

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Some of thebest apps for free online coursesoffer a guided path to understanding all of this.

Yes, its numbers are a bit dated, but the principles are still sound.

OpenEdu’s courseis far more detailed and comes up with 8 hours of material.

OpenEdu’s free online course teaches the pros and cons of renting vs. buying a home, along with other factors that affect home ownership today

Plus, it can all be downloaded for offline studying.

TheConsumer Financial Protection Bureauensures the common man gets a fair shake from banks, lenders, and financial institutions.

You’ll see the difference between the average prices in these areas through simple tables and interactive maps.

In a short article, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau highlights three key things to remember when you’re deciding between renting or buying a home

The research report also separates home ownership with and without a mortgage since those are crucial factors in metros.

Be advised that the last report was updated in May 2021.

Similarly, property siteRealtor.computs out monthly reports on rental prices across the 50 largest metros.

LendingTree has compared the difference between renting and buying a home in the top 50 metropolitan areas of the US, and turned them into interactive maps and charts

In these, you’ll find larger analyses about year-over-year changes and other trends.

Latest reports come out around the middle of every month and can be found on theRealtor.com blog.

There are several of them, and they vary in small ways.

Should I Get a House is an online calculator to figure out whether it’s better to buy a home or rent it, given your financial situation

Each app has a few different factors it relies on, and the analysis can vary based on that.

Here are some of the most recommended online rent vs. buy calculators:

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But everything isn’t as roses and sunshine as it seems.

Homelight’s extensive guide on the “Rent-To-Own” model teaches how the system works, what are its advantages and disadvantages, the procedures and contracts you can expect

Parents.comhighlighted all the potential hidden costs and pitfalls in rent-to-own agreements that you should read to educate yourself.

As the article points out, most agreements are between tenants and landlords, so they aren’t standardized.

Homelight’s guideoffers a more detailed perspective on the pros and cons of the rent-to-home model.

Renting a home lets you be more flexible with your financial overheads and allows for better long-term money planning.

But it can lead to insecurity and a lack of control over your environment.

There is no one “correct” answer to this debate.