Your friend wanted to buy a two-bedroom apartment in St. Lucia that is priced at $560,000. Assess the option as shown in below:

Off-the-Plan Option: A real-estate agent told you that as a first-time homeowner, your friend will be eligible to receive a first home owner’s grant of $10,000 if you buy a brand new apartment. Luckily, there is a development project offering a new apartment that is almost the same as the one that your friend likes, and it also priced at $560,000. However, this new property is currently selling as 'off-the-plan' ('off-the-plan' means a property that hasn't been built yet). It will be exactly two years before your apartment settles. For an off the plan purchase, you will be paying 10% deposit when you sign the contract with a developer (you will sign it today) and the remaining balance will due on the settlement date. Your 10% deposit with the developer will be earning an interest at 4% p.a. (compounded monthly).

Let’s assume on the settlement date. You decide to pay another 10% of the purchase price. The $10,000 grant will be credited to your saving account on the settlement date (for easy calculation purposes) and you will use it to pay off your mortgage. The remaining balance will be financed by the mortgage, where the first repayment happens one month after the settlement date. The application fee for this loan is $3,000 in cash on the settlement date. You will take out a 30-year mortgage paying a fixed at 5% p.a. (compounded monthly). Meanwhile, you will be renting a unit before your apartment is settled. The monthly expense for renting is $880 (due at the beginning of every month, beginning today).

Other Assumptions: To facilitate your analysis, assume that your bank allows you to lend (and borrow) at a rate of 4% p.a., compounded daily. Assume your friend will sign the contract to buy the apartment by the end of today, once you figured out which option is better.