Projects
Buy vs. Rent Calculator
An interactive map-based tool that compares the true total cost of buying versus renting at the ZIP code level across San Francisco, New York City, Washington DC, and South Florida metro areas, with historical analysis from 2000 to 2026.
Unlike simple mortgage calculators, this tool models the full financial picture over time by computing the net worth of two scenarios: (1) buying a home and building equity, versus (2) renting and investing the down payment and monthly savings across a range of investment strategies (S&P 500, 80/20, 60/40, treasuries, HYSA, etc.).
Key features:
- ZIP-level interactive map showing breakeven horizons across 1,500+ ZIP codes, including suburban areas (Bay Area, NJ, VA/MD suburbs, South Florida tri-county)
- Manual Mode calculator — a guided wizard for users without a specific address, with a neighborhood recommendation engine scoring ZIPs across safety/schools, nightlife, transit, and walkability using ACS and OpenStreetMap POI data
- Detailed cost modeling — mortgage payments (conforming vs. jumbo), property taxes (city-specific rules including Prop 13, NYC tax classes, and FL Save Our Homes), HOA/condo fees calibrated from REIT 10-K filings and AHS microdata, maintenance, and utilities
- Per-ZIP insurance estimates using NAIC state averages, NFIP flood premiums, CAL FIRE wildfire risk zones, California Earthquake Authority rates, and FL hurricane/wind zone pricing
- Tax benefits — mortgage interest deduction, SALT cap, capital gains exclusion (2-year hold minimum), state capital gains taxes, and NIIT
- Rent regulation detection for NYC (rent-stabilized buildings, 421-a, J-51, HDFC, Section 8, Mitchell-Lama)
- FEMA flood zone overlay with address-level flood risk overrides, and fire risk indicators
- Advanced settings — credit score adjustments, filing status, property type (condo/co-op/townhouse/single-family), investment strategy, and refinancing logic
All data sourced from public records and government APIs.