The real question isn't 'can I afford to buy?' — it's 'does buying actually make sense for me right now?'
This calculator compares total out-of-pocket costs of renting vs buying over your chosen timeframe. Buying costs include mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and closing costs. It subtracts the equity you build to get the net cost of ownership. Renting costs include rent with annual increases. The break-even point is how long you need to stay for buying to make financial sense.
Numbers are one thing. A real pre-approval tells you exactly where you stand before you start shopping.