Should you rent or buy? The answer isn't a feeling — it's a number. DwellQ simulates two parallel financial futures to show when — and whether — one path overtakes the other.
Every assumption. Every dollar. Every month.
Free — no signup required
THE PROBLEM
The biggest financial decision of your life deserves more than a guess
Most rent vs buy tools compare your mortgage payment to your rent and stop there. They never ask what your down payment could earn if you invested it instead. They skip selling costs, undercount maintenance, ignore PMI, and treat early mortgage payments — which are mostly interest — as if they're building equity. The result looks like an answer but it's missing the variables that actually decide the outcome.
DwellQ runs a complete month-by-month simulation of both paths — renting and investing versus buying and building equity — tracking every dollar, every hidden cost, and every compounding effect. No verdict. No bias. Just the full picture, with every assumption visible and adjustable.
HOW IT WORKS
Two paths. One number.
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01
Enter your real numbers
The home you're considering, the rent you're paying, the rate you've been quoted, and how long you plan to stay. Every input has a (?) tooltip with guidance. Start in under 60 seconds with conservative defaults, then refine.
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02
We simulate two financial futures
Path A: you rent and invest the down payment. Path B: you buy and build equity — while absorbing property tax, insurance, maintenance, PMI, and selling costs. Both paths run month by month for your full time horizon.
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03
See who wins, when, and why
One chart shows renter vs buyer net worth over time. The crossover is your break-even. Change any input and the entire analysis updates instantly — no reloads, no waiting. Six dashboard tabs break down costs, equity, budget, and tax savings.
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04
Q+ unlocks precision
Tax modeling (federal + state brackets, SALT cap, PMI deductibility), ARM loans with rate caps, refinance simulation with cash-out and discount points, scenario comparison, customizable assumptions, and a downloadable PDF report.
PLANS
BASIC
Free
See the big picture — without tax optimization
+Net worth comparison chart
+Break-even analysis
+PMI auto-calculation & dropoff
+Monthly cost breakdown by category
+Equity buildup & amortization charts
+Budget dashboard with insights
+21 inputs with help tooltips
⚠ Tax benefits set to $0 — buying costs may appear higher than reality
Q+ RECOMMENDED
Q+
$49 one-time
Full analysis with tax modeling and advanced features
+Everything in Basic
+Adjust all default assumptions
+Federal + state tax modeling
+SALT cap with high-income phaseout
+PMI tax deductibility
+ARM loan modeling with rate caps
+Refinance: cash-out, points, break-even
+How much home can I afford? calculator
+DTI & affordability metrics
+Save up to 10 scenarios
+Side-by-side scenario comparison
+Downloadable PDF report
✓ Results include estimated tax savings — see the projected cost of buying
THE $49 QUESTION
How much are you leaving on the table?
The free analysis sets tax benefits to $0. This keeps the projection conservative — but it also means the buy-side costs are overstated, sometimes by a lot.
For a typical $500K home with 20% down at 6.75%:
Year 1 Mortgage Interest
~$25,400
Deductible from taxable income
Property + State Taxes
Up to $40,000
SALT deduction (2025 cap)
Potential Annual Tax Reduction
Varies
Depends on income, bracket, and deductions
Over a 7-year horizon, these deductions could meaningfully shift the outcome in your analysis. For some buyers, it's the difference between "renting wins" and "buying wins."
And that's just the tax piece
📊ARM loans with rate caps and reset modeling — see exactly how adjustable rates affect your total cost
🔄Refinance simulation with cash-out, discount points, and break-even analysis for both Fixed and ARM
🗂️Save and compare up to 10 scenarios side by side — different properties, different assumptions, clear winner
📄Download a PDF report with your full analysis to share with an advisor, partner, or lender
Buying a home is likely the biggest purchase you'll ever make — and the margin between a great decision and an expensive mistake often comes down to details most people never model. For $49, you get the tools to model how tax deductions shift the verdict, how an ARM rate reset changes your monthly payment, when a refinance pays for itself, and which of the properties you're considering produces the strongest outcome. One overlooked variable can make a meaningful difference over your time horizon.
Disclaimer: DwellQ is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. All projections, calculations, and results are hypothetical estimates based on the assumptions you provide and should not be relied upon as predictions of actual outcomes. Tax calculations are simplified estimates and do not account for your full financial situation. Past performance and historical averages do not guarantee future results. Home values, investment returns, interest rates, and rental prices may vary significantly from the assumptions used. Consult a qualified financial advisor, tax professional, or attorney before making real estate or financial decisions.