U.S. map comparing home affordability today with the late 1990s; California and Oregon are less affordable today.

Your Friends Are Crazy Wrong If They’re Telling You Not to Buy

Two women chat by a glass door as one gives a thumbs-up.
 
The current narrative is that home prices have risen so much so that it is no longer a smart idea to purchase a home. Your family and friends might suggest that buying a home right now (whether a first-time home or a move-up home) makes absolutely no sense from an affordability standpoint. They are wrong!
 
Homes are more affordable right now than at almost any time in our country’s history except for the foreclosure years (2009-2015) when homes sold at major discounts. As an example, below is a graph from the latest Black Knight Mortgage Monitor showing the percentage of median income needed to buy a medium-priced home in the country today in comparison to prior to the housing bubble and bust.
 
Bar chart: median-income share needed to buy a median-priced home was 24.2%, 26.2%, and 21.4% across three periods.
 
As we can see, the percentage necessary is less now than in those time periods.
 
The Mortgage Monitor also explains that home affordability is better today than it was in the late 1990s in 47 of 50 states.
 
U.S. map comparing home affordability today with the late 1990s; Oregon, California, and Hawaii are less affordable.
 

Bottom Line

Your friends and family have your best interests at heart. However, when it comes to buying your first home or selling your current house to buy the home of your dreams, let’s get together to discuss what your best move is, now.
Bar chart shows income needed to buy a median-priced home: 24.2%, 26.2%, and 21.4% across three periods.

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We want to be there to guide you through the whole process – not just today, but throughout every stage of your life’s journey. We are deeply committed to representing your best interests. Contact us today!

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