We saw mortgage rates stay essentially flat again last month after a rapid rise to start this year. Average U.S. rates for 30-year fixed rate mortgages are currently at 4.54%. At the end of last month, they were sitting at 4.55%. While it is great to see upward momentum reverse for the time being, the general forecast continues to be for a slow continued rise over the rest of the year.
Even with the expected rise over the rest of 2018, we will still be considerably lower than the long-term average mortgage interest rates in our country. While it’s hard to believe in today’s environment, the long-term average is still over 8%. When you compare monthly payments at today’s rates versus the long-term average, homeowners are currently saving over $230 per month per $100,000 borrowed. That makes mortgaging today’s homes considerably more affordable than historic averages.
That said, mortgages are more expensive now than they were when the year started. The average increase in monthly payments per $100,000 borrowed with a 30-year fixed price mortgage is over $32 per month. If you max out a conventional mortgage, that means your monthly payment will be around $150 more per month now than it would have been on January 1st.