Rent or own

I'm toying with the idea of buying a home in Saint John. I like my apartment in the North of Union area, but am starting to worry that I should get a place before the expected energy hub induced boom will put a house out of my price range. I like the idea of building equity and was really excited when I saw the conceptual plans for the Rocca Condos on Prince William Street.

Still personal finances dictate my purchasing decision in a big way. I found a tool on the New York Times website that helps you calculate your rent versus own equilibrium. The tool has a lot of variables and might be useful as a starting point in this sort of decision making.