NEW YORK (Money Magazine) -- Q: My husband is in grad school. Since we know we'll move in three years, should we buy or rent? -- Amy M., Pittsburgh
A: Keep writing rent checks. Home prices may be stabilizing -- and even on the rise in Pittsburgh since March -- but you can't count on a fast profit to make up for the price of buying (closing costs can run 2% of the price) and selling (a 6% commission) in the next three, or even five, years.
And with home prices up in your area, renting may be less costly. Plus, it gives you the flexibility to move quickly as your husband negotiates his academic career.
"Especially with a short time horizon, you're better off renting, saving the difference, and then putting that money toward a house," says Mark Goldman, a San Diego State University real estate lecturer. 
| Overnight Avg Rate | Latest | Change | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 yr fixed | 3.80% | 3.80% | |
| 15 yr fixed | 3.09% | 3.11% | |
| 5/1 ARM | 2.65% | 2.69% | |
| 30 yr refi | 3.77% | 3.86% | |
| 15 yr refi | 3.09% | 3.21% |
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| Bank of America Corp... | 7.15 | 0.01 | 0.14% |
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