Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

These hypothetical examples are illustrations for educational purposes only and are not an offer to lend nor a Good Faith Estimate. Examples are for a $250,000 home that rose to $275,000 with a rate increase from 4.50%/4.762% APR to 6.50%/6.95% APR on a zero point 30-year, fixed-rate loan with a 20% down payment, $4,000 in taxes and annual insurance of $580 for the "today" example and $638 for the "tomorrow" example. APRs are calculated using closing costs equal to 3% of the loan amount. Actual costs can be less, and actual rates are subject to change at any time. Qualification for any loan is dependent on individual circumstance and subject but not limited to employment/income, credit history and acceptable liquid assets to close. First time home buyers currently have a historical advantage with both low rates and prices. What happens when the trend begins to shift? You might not qualify to purchase the same house. Unless your income keeps pace with price a...

The recent housing crisis has prompted questions over whether home ownership is still a viable way toward greater wealth in this country. Confidence in home ownership was shaken, and many have had to turn to renting (the number of renters has increased nearly 25 percent since the housing crisis). The home ownership rate, in turn, has fallen from a peak of nearly 70 percent in 2004 to a two-decade low of 64.3 percent more recently. Still, researchers continue to find evidence that home ownership contributes to individual wealth. One example: The Center for Responsible Lending of Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances recently found that median net worth of home owners in 2013 was $195,400, while at the same time the median net worth for renters was only $5,400. “Home ownership long has been central to Americans’ ability to amass wealth; even with the substantial decline in wealth after the housing bust, the net worth of home owners over time has significantly outpa...