In many locations in the United States, owning a home is less expensive than renting. A recent report by Trulia examining the costs for buying versus renting found that buying a home is approximately 38% cheaper than renting in the 100 largest metropolitan areas. Trulia’s chief economist, Jed Kolko said, “mortgage rates have come back down in the past year, and rents have risen a little more than prices have. Those things together have increased the gap between the cost of buying and the cost of renting. Over the past year, buying has become even more favorable compared with renting.” More here