Sam Daly Rent vs Buy

SF Buy vs. Rent + Invest

Compare leveraged San Francisco homeownership with renting and investing the same starting cash plus any monthly savings. Historical presets use long-run SF home-price and S&P 500 return data; every assumption is editable.

Self-contained calculator
Buy — net wealth
$0
Rent + invest
$0
Difference
$0

Net wealth over time

Home line assumes sale at each point, including selling costs.

Buy Rent + invest
Year Home value Mortgage balance Buy net wealth Rent + invest Monthly rent

Historical presets: SF home appreciation is based on the S&P CoreLogic/Case-Shiller San Francisco index through June 2026. S&P 500 presets use total returns with dividends reinvested; 5/10/15-year values use trailing-return data through Aug. 2026, while longer presets are approximations from calendar-year total returns through 2025. Mortgage-rate presets are approximate period-start rates and are editable. This is a financial model, not tax or investment advice; it does not include income-tax effects, capital-gains taxes, mortgage-interest deductions, depreciation, special assessments, renovations, or transaction-specific fees.