Should I buy or rent? (New Grad)

I am graduating in May and accepted a job offer starting in July. I am looking into either a) renting an apartment for around $2,000/month or b) buying a condo for around $300,000. Is there any reason why I would rent instead of buy?

Some context 

- 22 years old, no debt, would put 20% down, starting a job in July

8 Comments
 

Well, where are you talking about? Some factors/questions:

  1. Location, location, location—Is this a city you actually like and want to end up in? Or is it a temporary move and more of an investment?
  1. Salary—Does your budget leave you with extra room? Are you prepared for unexpected expenses and rise in living costs? Feasible ≠ logical
  1. Stability—Are you certain you will have this job for awhile? Is there a chance of being relocated?

A lot of factors to take into account and really depends upon your preferences. If it’s a place you love and can see yourself living in for years, then go for it. But if it’s merely for investment purposes, then I would take more time to consider all the potential outcomes.

 

Thanks for the response.

1) It's in a city I want to live in for the foreseeable future, in a nice area. 

2) After taxes I'll be taking home about $4,800/month (I'm getting pre-approved for a loan right now, but anticipating that the payments would be nearly 1/2)

3) It is a 2-year analyst program and there's no chance of relocation (My only worry is the possibility of being fired)

 

Maybe I’m making it extremely easy(I’m not a us resident), but it seems to me that even if will be moving somewhere else but can rent out at 2k a month, will be better off buying than renting on a(at least)15years mortgage.

Only point I would raise is: wouldn’t be worth waiting a few quarters to see where the RE prices go? You wouldn’t want to buy something at it’s peak

 

Facere accusamus quibusdam et corporis unde velit odit. Tenetur temporibus delectus aut dolore aliquid ratione. Laborum saepe quas commodi. Dolor rerum in est dolorum velit ullam. Est unde veniam odio omnis quasi sint dolorum. Quasi qui rem quo. Debitis aut repudiandae rem sit.

Sed voluptatem et hic eum occaecati sunt earum quam. Illo voluptatibus quaerat sint temporibus. Ipsa ipsam explicabo est et quo.

Aut vitae dolore hic. Fuga ut corrupti error dignissimos.

Blanditiis amet rerum et. Suscipit qui omnis rerum quas necessitatibus sapiente ducimus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”