Dear Mary: We’ve just received notice that the rent on our three-bedroom house is going up from $950 to $1,200 a month. We were struggling before, so we really can’t afford the increase. We have looked at an apartment community, where our rent would be around $850 a month. I found another home that could be a great permanent family home. This one is a rental, but with an option to purchase. The monthly rent on this house is $1,250. We have huge student loan balances, and our credit isn’t that great. Should we move to the cheaper apartment, opt for the house with the higher rent and option to purchase, or just stay where we are? Thanks for your advice. —Henry Dear Henry: If you are already struggling to make your $950 rent each month, how are you going to handle $1,200 a month—with or without an option-to-purchase clause? …