More Affordable Monthly Payments Part 1 of 3

The motivation to buy a home is a strong one, especially in America. After all, owning one's own home is seen as achieving the "American Dream".

Yet today's current higher interest rates are definitely causing stress for home buyers. The reality is current interest rates averaging at ~7.09% are more than double the rates commonly offered to borrowers during the early years of the pandemic, which often ranged from 2.5% to 3.5%. 

   Real estate experts like me advise Buyers to remember they "Marry the House" but only "Date the Rate." That's because while one is committed to the house, interest rates can change quickly and dramatically. When interest rates begin dropping and changing in borrowers' favor, homeowners can refinance with a new mortgage at a  lower interest rate.  

Here is Part 1 of a 3 part series on "More Affordable Monthly Payments."

Step 1 of 3

Secure and Maintain a High Credit Score.

When lenders assesses a borrower's financial history, they take an in-depth look at credit score in order to determine how much (or little) risk the borrower represents to them. Obviously, lenders are looking for not only the most profitable loans, but also the ones with the lowest chances of defaulting.

Borrowers with a clean credit rating and high score will frequently qualify for a lower interest rate than someone with a lower credit score – even if when both borrowers have the same monthly income amounts. 

For example, say one couple is making $500,000 per year and their two credit scores are 780 or higher. Another couple with the same income has two credit scores of 650-680. The couple with the higher credit score will qualify for a lower interest rate.

Thanks for reading Part 1 of a 3 part series on "More Affordable Monthly Payments." Look for Part 2 here and Part 3 here.  

This blog post is part 1 of an entry to the September AR Challenge.