$\"What$ \n

If you want to buy a home<\/a>, it\u2019s important to know how mortgage rates<\/a> impact what you can afford and how much you\u2019ll pay each month. Fortunately, rates for 30-year fixed mortgages have come down significantly since the end of October and are currently under 7%<\/a>, according to Freddie Mac<\/em> (see graph below<\/em>):<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n

This recent trend is great news for buyers<\/a>. As a recent article from Bankrate<\/em> says<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rate cool-off somewhat eases the housing affordability squeeze.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And according<\/a> to Edward Seiler, AVP of Housing Economics and Executive Director of the Research Institute for Housing America at the Mortgage Bankers Association<\/em> (MBA):<\/p>\n
\u201cMBA expects that affordability conditions will continue to improve as mortgage rates decline . . .\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Here\u2019s a bit more context on how this could help with your plans to buy a home<\/a>.<\/p>\n
How Mortgage Rates Affect Your Search for a Home<\/strong><\/h4>\nUnderstanding the connection between mortgage rates and your monthly home payment is crucial for your plans to become a homeowner<\/a>. The chart below illustrates how your ability to afford a home changes when mortgage rates shift. Imagine your budget allows for a monthly payment between $2,400 and $2,500. The green part in the chart shows payments in that range or lower (see chart below<\/em>):<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n
As you can see, even small changes in rates can affect your budget and the loan amount you can afford.<\/p>\n
Get Help from Reliable Experts To Understand Your Budget and Plan Ahead<\/strong><\/h4>\nWhen you\u2019re looking to buy a home<\/a>, it\u2019s important to get guidance from a local real estate agent and a trusted lender. They can help you explore different mortgage options, understand what makes mortgage rates go up or down, and how those changes impact you.<\/p>\n
By looking at the numbers and the latest data together, then adjusting your strategy based on today\u2019s rates, you\u2019ll be better prepared and ready to buy a home.<\/p>\n
Bottom Line<\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re looking to buy a home<\/a>, you should know the recent downward trend in mortgage rates is good news for your move. Team up with a trusted real estate agent<\/a> and lender to plan your next steps.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you want to buy a home, it\u2019s important to know how mortgage rates impact what you can afford and how much you\u2019ll pay each month. Fortunately, rates for 30-year fixed mortgages have come down significantly since the end of October and are currently under 7%, according to Freddie Mac (see graph below): \u00a0 This […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4503,"comment_status":"registered_only","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[29,27,20,18,28],"class_list":["post-4502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-insight","tag-idaho-real-estate","tag-north-idaho-homes","tag-rain-silverhawk","tag-real-estate","tag-sandpoint-idaho"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t