For home buyers, affordability is always a top concern. That’s why news of home price increases and rising mortgage rates has some buyers feeling hesitant about their home purchase plans. But while affordability conditions have certainly changed from last year, one new measure of monthly mortgage payments found they were relatively flat in May. The data, from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s monthly Purchase Applications Payment Index, measures median payments across the country based on recent loan applications. In May, the index found mortgage payments were only $8 higher than they were in April. In fact, the median payment was $1,897 in May and $1,889 the month before. The increase was even smaller when looking at lower-payment mortgages, which increased to $1,241 from $1,236. Of course, whether or not affordability conditions continue to remain stable in the months ahead remains to be seen. But after the sharp increases we saw during the first four months of the year, a relatively stable May is a welcome break for buyers. (source)
