Mila is moving to a new location for work. Based on her revised employment contract, she will be working at the new location for the next 5 years. She is deciding whether she should rent or buy a house. From her research, she can rent an apartment for a cost of $1,800 per month. The house she is considering purchasing will cost $625,000. Mila has just signed a contract to sell her current home and would use some the proceeds from this sale for the down payment. The amount for a down payment for her next property would be $125,000. Mila prefers to purchase a home as she enjoys gardening. She also has many ideas of how to decorate her new space. Her financial institution is currently offering a mortgage rate of 4.25% for 5 years. Mila would amortize the mortgage over a period of 25 years with monthly payments. Other costs associated with owning the home are as follows:

$5,100 p.a. for property taxes.

$100 monthly for insurance.

New roof in 3 years, estimated cost in 3 years is $23,000.

$525 per month for utilities (electricity, water, heat) and landscaping costs (Mila would hire a company to cut grass in the summer and do snow removal in the winter). All expenses are expected to increase at a rate of 2% p.a. Due to the demand for homes in the new location, the home value is expected to increase 3.25% p.a. Mila can earn a return of 4.5% p.a.

Required: a) Is it a good time for Mila to buy a home or rent in the new location?

Ignore expenses such as moving and legal and ignore taxes.

b) What are 3 other factors Mila should consider in her rent vs buy decision?