For the past several years there has been some confusion over whether it has been a better deal to rent or buy a home. Buying has always been the best long term investment. With the changes in the market it is now clear that in almost any situation buying is the best bet.

Rents over the past few years have been on the rise and the demand for rental housing has been shrinking rental availability raising the rents and the competition for acceptable units. Rents have been increasing at about a rate of 2.5 percent a year while home prices have been dropping at about 3.1 percent a year. This makes buying a much better option.

Lately, there has been an uptick in the home buying market and in some price ranges inventory is low for prospective buyers. Because prices and mortgage rates remain at all-time lows this is a perfect time to get out of a rental and into your own home.

If you are looking for some hard numbers on your own personal financial picture the New York Times has an easy to use calculator that will help you determine how much you will save by buying a home. Click here to use the calculator.