In the 28 cities that The Wall Street Journal tracked, it found monthly mortgage payments on the
median-priced home—including taxes and insurance—to be lower than the average rent levels in 12 of the
metro areas.
Atlanta was found to be the city where owning was more favorable to renting by the most. For example,
the monthly rent on the median-priced home there was $539 during the third quarter (with a 20 percent down
payment) compared to the average asking rent which averaged $840, according to data provided by Marcus
& Millichap.
Nationwide, apartment rents are expected to rise by about 4 percent this year, which may make the owning
vs. renting picture tilt even higher, according to some analysts.
Despite the appealing housing picture for home buyers, some buyers continue to stay on the sidelines,
unable to sell their current home, qualify for mortgages due to the tightening of credit, or keep a steady
job, housing expert say.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
