After four straight weeks of declines, mortgage rates have inched back up again — but homebuyers aren’t letting that cast a shadow on their sunny dispositions.
“With employment still running at a strong pace, wages continue rising, putting more money in households’ budgets,” writes George Ratiu, manager of economic research at Realtor.com.
At the same time, median list prices are down 11% from their peak in the summer. Even if conditions aren’t perfect, they’re better — and that’s good enough for Americans eager to make a move.
“With interest rates still running well below the 7% range we saw in the fall, the psychological shock of the 2022 rate jump is wearing off for buyers, leading to a favorable adjustment in expectations.”
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30-year fixed-rate mortgages
America’s most popular home loan — the 30-year fixed rate mortgage — tipped back up to 6.12% this week, compared to last week’s average of 6.09%. A year ago at this time, the rate averaged 3.69%.
Last week, the Federal Reserve raised its key lending rate by 0.25% to keep the pressure on inflation. It’s a modest increase compared to recent hikes, though recent jobs data has experts predicting more hikes will come.
“The 30-year fixed rate continues to hover close to 6%, and interested homebuyers are easing their way back to the market just in time for the spring homebuying season,” says Sam Khater, chief economist at housing giant Freddie Mac.
15-year fixed-rate mortgages
The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage moved to 5.25%, up from last week when it averaged 5.14%. This time a year ago, the 15-year fixed rate averaged 2.93%.
Nadia Evangelou, senior economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), says some Americans may still be wondering whether it’s better to rent than buy a home at this point.
“While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, renters are often paying the same amount in rent as they would for a monthly mortgage if they owned a $300,000 home,” Evangelou points out.
“The cost of renting and owning a home at this price point is the same at $1,630 every month. Meanwhile, nearly 85% of counties have a median home price lower than $300,000.”
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A near-record year for multi-generational homes
With families motivated to overcome today’s affordability challenges, more and more Americans are looking for safety in numbers.
Multi-generational living arrangements can be an efficient solution whether you’re a young adult moving back home because you can’t afford to live on your own or a caregiver for your elderly parents who need extra support.
Last year, a near-record 14% of buyers purchased a multi-generational home, according to the NAR’s recent Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report.
That’s up from 11% in 2021 but a little below 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a jump to 15%.
Across generations, it’s most common to see a Gen Xer buy a multi-generational home, writes Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research at the NAR. That’s because the so-called “sandwich generation” is more likely to live with both aging parents and adult children.
“As we see the transition of the large baby boomer generation age into retirement, it will be interesting to see if they move in with their millennial and Gen Z children or if they stay put in their own homes,” says Lautz.
“The trend of multi-generational buying appears to be firmly established and one that could expand in the future.”
Mortgage applications increase undeterred
The number of mortgage applications rose 7.4% from a week earlier, reports the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).
“Both purchase and refinance applications increased last week and have shown gains in three of the past four weeks because of lower rates,” says Joel Kan, vice president and deputy chief economist at the MBA.
Refinance activity increased by 18% this week but is still 75% lower than what it was a year ago.
“Purchase activity that was put on hold last year due to the quick runup in rates is gradually coming back as rates ease and housing demand remains strong, driven by supportive demographics and the ongoing strength in the job market.”
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Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shake-off-psychological-shock-mortgage-150000292.html