Surging mortgage rates make home buying more expensive for Dallas

Mortgage rates have surpassed 5% — the highest rates have been in years, according to data shared by Freddie Mac.

Why it matters: Low mortgage rates during the past two years made buying in a sellers’ market more affordable.

• In March 2022, median home sale values in Dallas were up 22% year over year, and now borrowing money is more expensive, too.
• Already-fatigued buyers could be priced out of the market.

Flashback: A year ago, mortgage rates were only about 3%.

• If you took out a $300,000, 30-year mortgage loan in April 2021, your monthly principal and interest would be around $1,260, according to numbers shared by Freddie Mac.

State of play: Your monthly payment on the same type of loan in April 2022 (at 5%) would be $1,631.

• That’s $371 more per month; $4,452 a year; and $133,560 more over the life of your loan.

What’s next: Mortgage rates are expected to rise throughout the year, averaging 4.6% for 2022 and 5% for 2023, according to Freddie Mac’s trend forecast.

• If demand cools because of rising rates, housing prices could stabilize.

Yes, but: We’re still in a critical supply crunch, so inventory would have to catch up to the remaining demand for prices to actually cool.