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Comment by meterplech

100% true.

And a good reminder of how much exposure housing prices have to interest rates. To frame the same math another way:

If you bought a house for, say, $580k with a $500k mortgage... You paid $80k down payment + $20k closing costs and your monthly would be ~$2,073/month.

If interest rates go up to 6%, and the person buying your house also wants to pay the same ~2,073/month, they would only be able to afford a $344,649 mortgage. Assume the same $80k down payment and $20k closing costs... and they should be willing to pay $444,649 for your house ($135,351 less than you paid!).

Obviously with inflation the person may be willing to spend more than you spent! But there's a lot of risk for homeowners who need/want to sell if/when interest rates go up. That's why the 30 year fixed is such a fantastic bet if you are willing + able to hold and lock that fixed price... but housing is a pretty lousy investment if you need to sell.

parent meterplech 5 years ago

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