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Things To Consider When Buying a Home
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MORTGAGE RATES?
Last year, mortgage rates more than doubled within the calendar year. That’s never happened before, and the rapid rise caused many buyers to put their plans on hold. Today, rates are still quite volatile. With experts projecting rates will stabilize this year, that could be great news for you if you’re ready to buy a home. Any drop in interest rates helps boost your purchasing power by bringing your expected monthly mortgage payment down.
But you shouldn’t expect rates to drop all the way down to the record lows we saw in 2021. Experts agree that isn’t a range buyers should expect. Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst at Bankrate, explains:
“I think we could be surprised at how much mortgage rates pull back this year. But we’re not going back to 3 percent anytime soon, because inflation is not going back to 2 percent anytime soon.”
It’s important to have a realistic vision for what you can expect this spring. Though we’re not going back to 3% mortgage rates, you may be surprised by the impact even a mild drop in rates has on your budget.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH HOME PRICES?
Headlines about home prices can be confusing. While home price appreciation has cooled, where home prices go from here will vary based on supply and demand in our local market.
That may be why some experts say prices will decline slightly and others say they’ll continue to climb, just more moderately than they did in the frenzy of the pandemic. The important thing is, overall, experts say price appreciation will be relatively neutral or flat this year.
KEY TAKEAWAY
If you’re thinking about pausing your home search because of mortgage rates, you may want to reconsider. This could actually be an opportunity to buy the home you’ve been searching for. The rise in mortgage rates is leading some potential homebuyers to pull back on their search for a new home. So, if you stay the course, you’ll likely face less competition among other buyers when you’re looking for a home. This is welcome relief in a market that has so few homes for sale.
Last year, mortgage rates more than doubled within the calendar year. That’s never happened before, and the rapid rise caused many buyers to put their plans on hold. Today, rates are still quite volatile. With experts projecting rates will stabilize this year, that could be great news for you if you’re ready to buy a home. Any drop in interest rates helps boost your purchasing power by bringing your expected monthly mortgage payment down.
But you shouldn’t expect rates to drop all the way down to the record lows we saw in 2021. Experts agree that isn’t a range buyers should expect. Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst at Bankrate, explains:
“I think we could be surprised at how much mortgage rates pull back this year. But we’re not going back to 3 percent anytime soon, because inflation is not going back to 2 percent anytime soon.”
It’s important to have a realistic vision for what you can expect this spring. Though we’re not going back to 3% mortgage rates, you may be surprised by the impact even a mild drop in rates has on your budget.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH HOME PRICES?
Headlines about home prices can be confusing. While home price appreciation has cooled, where home prices go from here will vary based on supply and demand in our local market.
That may be why some experts say prices will decline slightly and others say they’ll continue to climb, just more moderately than they did in the frenzy of the pandemic. The important thing is, overall, experts say price appreciation will be relatively neutral or flat this year.
KEY TAKEAWAY
If you’re thinking about pausing your home search because of mortgage rates, you may want to reconsider. This could actually be an opportunity to buy the home you’ve been searching for. The rise in mortgage rates is leading some potential homebuyers to pull back on their search for a new home. So, if you stay the course, you’ll likely face less competition among other buyers when you’re looking for a home. This is welcome relief in a market that has so few homes for sale.
