According to a recent report by Black Knight, Inc., home affordability reached its best level in years in August 2019. This follows a consistent decline in home affordability from late 2016 through late 2018. Home affordability hit a nine-year low in November 2018, as mortgage rates rose to the 5% range. At that time, the national home payment to income ratio rose to 23.7%. According to Black Rock, this led to an extended slow down in home price growth.
Since November 2018, mortgage rate declines plus this slower home appreciation has greatly improved home affordability. The national payment to income ratio has dropped to 20.7%. This ratio means that the monthly principal and interest (P&I) payment on an average-priced home now requires only 20.7% of the national median income.
Put another way, interest rate declines between November 2018 and August 2019 has increased home buying power by about $46,000. In August 2019, a home buyer would pay the same P&I amount on a $246,000 home mortgage as she would have paid on a $200,000 home mortgage in November 2018.
On the other hand, I found websites and recent articles showing that Atlanta-area rents have risen around 4% in the preceding 12 months. In short, owning a home in Atlanta has gotten more affordable while renting has gotten more expensive.
Do you rent your home in Georgia? Has your rent increased making money tight? Give me a call and let’s talk about mortgage affordability. You don’t need perfect credit to buy a home, and you will need only a minimum 3% to 3.5% for your down payment. (Military veterans can obtain VA loans with a 0% down payment.) With the current low mortgage rates, you might be able to buy more home than you thought you could, for a lower monthly payment than you thought you would have to make. And with buying a home, you will get the equity / wealth benefits from potential home appreciation. It’s a GREAT time to buy a home in Georgia!!
