Buy or rent?
Compare buying and renting based on your financial situation and identify the break-even point between both scenarios.
Beyond the myths. Smarter decisions. Powered by data.
Real Estate: Beyond the Myths — Deciding Better with Data
The guide to smarter financial choices in property
In a market often guided by emotion and common misconceptions, Thomas Lefebvre and Bárbara Castillo Rico propose a new perspective on real estate: using data to understand the market, questioning the most persistent myths, and making more rational decisions.
Key questions in the book
To buy or rent?Where to buy tomorrow?New or old property?Are energy-inefficient properties a good deal?When to sell?
The book gives keys, methods, and tools to shed light on these choices.
⚡ Digital companion:This website is an extension of the book: find the tools presented throughout the chapters to explore the analyses and put them into practice.
Access the tools↓Free
Discover the book before you buy
Receive the table of contents and introduction for free.
Discover the questions we tackle, our data-driven approach, and the first pages of the book.
REAL ESTATE TOOLS
Simulators for number-driven decisions
Explore the simulators from the book and compare different scenarios to inform your real estate decisions.
1. The right calculations to buy your home
Buy an energy-inefficient property?
Evaluate the profitability of a purchase by factoring in property price, renovation costs, and energy efficiency upgrades.
2. Buy New or Old Property
Should you buy a new-build primary residence?
Compare the economic cost of buying a new-build versus existing property for your primary residence, including acquisition costs, financing, and new-build schemes.
Should you make a new-build rental investment?
Compare the economic performance of a rental investment in new-build versus existing property, including rental income, vacancy, charges, and applicable tax schemes.
Authors
Inside the book
Big real estate questions decoded by data
Each chapter uses data to challenge conventional wisdom and give you the keys to make smarter decisions.
Buying is not always more profitable than renting. The answer depends heavily on purchase price, local rents, mortgage costs, and above all how long you plan to stay in the home. This book provides an objective method to compare both options for your specific situation.
Full methodology and charts in the book
No. Like any market, real estate experiences cycles of growth, stagnation, and decline. Understanding these cycles and viewing price trends over time prevents assuming property is an automatically winning investment.
Full methodology and charts in the book
Cities with the highest past price gains are not necessarily those that will grow tomorrow. Population trends, economic dynamism, local incomes, and housing supply help identify areas with the strongest fundamentals. This book details which metrics to monitor to identify these dynamics.
Full methodology and charts in the book
New builds generally command higher initial prices but benefit from lower transaction costs, superior energy efficiency, and financing incentives. Existing properties often cost less up front but may require renovation. Fair comparison requires evaluating all costs and gains over your entire holding period.
Full methodology and charts in the book
While equity markets offer attractive long-term historical returns, deciding between stocks and property involves mechanisms far deeper than simple yield comparisons. Between mortgage leverage, savings discipline, and local market trends, the optimal choice depends on each profile. To guide you step by step and simulate your best option, this book includes a tailored calculation tool.
Full methodology and charts in the book
Rent caps restrict landlords' pricing freedom, but that alone does not make an investment unviable. Acquisition costs, prevailing rents, tenant demand, and long-term appreciation must all be weighed together. An investment's true return must always be assessed comprehensively.
Full methodology and charts in the book
✦Beyond brief answers
Simulate and deepen every decision
The book details calculation methodologies, pitfalls to avoid, and provides dedicated simulators to quantify your property journey.