Money saved through buying real estate in selected U.S. cities as of January 2014

Note: The researchers at Trulia attempted to increase accuracy in their report through the following methods: they estimated the rents and sale prices for similar real estate in similar neighborhoods rather than using average rental rate or sale price. Further, the researchers calculated the intitial monthly costs of renting and owning, which included rent and price appreciation along with inflation. Also, one time transactional costs were included such as security deposits, sales proceeds and down payments. The metric assumed that buyers purchase a mortgage on a 30-year fixed term at a rate of 4.5 percent and put down 20 percent. Further, it assumes that residents live in their home for at least seven years.
For information on the methodology please click here.