In this episode of She Talks Money, I’m breaking down a real-life comparison between two women — Rachel and Megan.

Same age.
Same city.
Same $100,000 income.
Same lifestyle.
Same three-bedroom home in 2026.

The only difference?
Rachel rents for $2,800/month.
Megan buys for $2,900/month with 5% down on a $400,000 home.

Fast forward 10 years.

Rachel pays about $336,000 in rent — and walks away with zero equity.
Megan pays about $348,000 toward her mortgage, pays down roughly $85,000 in principal, and with 4% annual appreciation, her home grows to around $592,000.

After her remaining loan balance (about $295,000), she’s sitting on nearly $297,000 in equity.

That’s almost a $300,000 difference — and it didn’t come from working harder or saving more aggressively. It came from owning an appreciating asset.

In this episode, I explain:
• Why rent typically rises while mortgage payments stay mostly fixed
• How appreciation quietly builds wealth
• The power of forced savings
• How leverage works in real estate
• Tax advantages of homeownership
• Stability + the ability to use equity later

This isn’t about pressure. It’s about perspective.

If you want to see what buying could look like for you, DM me “REPORT” for my free Home Price Options Report.

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