Should we rent for a while before buying the next place?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
Often, yes — and it's a position of strength, not a step backward, however it feels to a former owner. Renting after a big transition buys the two things money can't rush: information and time. You learn how the new life actually runs — where the week takes you, what you miss, what you don't — before committing to a long-term guess.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
The stage is set.
Chris's video answer is on its way. Until then, the short answer above says the same thing.
The transcript posts with the video.
The longer answer
The math critique writes itself: rent is money you don't get back. True. But the wrong house costs more — transaction costs in both directions, plus the daily tax of living somewhere that doesn't fit. A year of rent is cheap tuition against that.
The version that works is deliberate: a real lease in a neighborhood you're auditioning, eyes open, no pressure to exit early. When the audition produces an answer, you'll buy better than any rushed version of you would have. I'll be ready when you are.
The next department over
What people in this spot usually ask next.
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From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.