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If you need a house, then you need a house.
If you don’t really need another house, then there are a million factors to consider other than just the interest rates. Eg, is one going to appreciate faster than the other? Do either have rental potential? Are there tax or insurance rate differences? How long will you stay? etc
I would personally hold out for awhile to make the most of the low rate and give more time to save...unless the new place is going to make a huge immediate impact on quality of life.
I just made this jump! My husband and I moved from a 1 bedroom condo to a 4 bedroom house because we’re expecting. We had $250k on our last mortgage, and we have $400k on this one. Obviously, our monthly payments are going up, but we also make $60k more than we did when we bought the condo.
It’s all about weighing the pros and cons of your situation. Most houses are only going to appreciate, so it’s usually better to buy sooner rather than later. Interest rates will likely drop over the next year or so, but my guess is that we won’t see 2-3% rates again for years. For buyers’ sake, I hope rates settle around 5%.
If the house you’re buying is within 25% of your monthly income, in a better school district, and a better option for your growing family, I say go for it. If it’s your “forever” home, you can explore refinancing in a few years.
Agree with the 25% goal post (monthly PITI / gross monthly income)
If you think that's stupid we're about to do the same except we haven't even figured out what to do with the old house yet. New house is cheaper (further from the metro area) but mortgage will be 3x our current mortgage.
Why don’t you do a HELOC
Right now I’m seeing ads for mortgages that folks are saying they can refinance if the rates get lower.
I only want to say use caution. I know the circumstances are different from the 2008/2009 housing market. But there were alot of people underwater and the banks wouldn’t refinance. So, make sure you like the new house, like the neighborhood, can make the payments if only one of you is working, and plan to stay for a while if you are making the jump.