We recently shared that national home prices have increased by 6.7% year-over-year. Over that same time period, interest rates have remained historically low which has allowed many buyers to enter the market.

As a seller, you will likely be most concerned about ‘short-term price’ – where home values are headed over the next six months. As a buyer, however, you must not be concerned about price, but instead about the ‘long-term cost’ of the home.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae all project that mortgage interest rates will increase by this time next year. According to CoreLogic’s most recent Home Price Index Report, home prices will appreciate by 5.2% over the next 12 months.

What Does This Mean as a Buyer?

If home prices appreciate by 5.2% over the next twelve months as predicted by CoreLogic, here is a simple demonstration of the impact that an increase in interest rate would have on the mortgage payment of a home selling for approximately $250,000 today:

Bottom Line

If buying a home is in your plan for this year, doing it sooner rather than later could save you thousands of dollars over the terms of your loan.

Whether buying your first home or your fifth, having a buyer’s agent who is an expert in their market on your side is your best bet to make sure the process goes smoothly. Let’s talk about how we can make your dreams of homeownership a reality here in St Johns County Florida (serving St Augustine, Nocatee and Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach and St Johns)!

Give us a call today and we will be happy to put you on the track of a new home here in St Augustine, St Johns, Nocatee or Ponte Vedra. For Buyers Only Realty is the only Exclusive Buyer’s Agents in Northeast Florida. 100% Buyer Representation at no cost to you! We are the Wife-Husband team of Dedicated Buyer’s Agents!

Call Sharon Stevens at 904-687-5220 or Dwight Cole at 904-466-4630.