How to Prepare for the Expected and Unexpected Costs of Homeownership
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What is this episode’s focus on buying and keeping a home?
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Here's your Money Briefing for Sunday, April 28th. I'm J.R. Whalen for The Wall Street Journal. One of the most expensive purchases you'll ever make is buying a home. It's also one of the biggest debts you'll take on. For 27-year-old Metzli Sanchez, the day she closed on her house topped her graduation as the best day of her life.
The feeling was just so incredibly life-changing and overwhelming in all the best of ways. I was so excited and happy and just ready to get the day over so I can get my keys and just go into my new house.
But having the shiny title of being a homeowner doesn't come easy. And as a first-time homebuyer, Metzli had to ask herself some big questions, not just ones about how many beds and baths she wanted,
The questions that really froze me was when you go into anything, my biggest question is you can afford something today. Can you afford it tomorrow?
It's more than just finding a home in your budget and getting all that paperwork to the finish line. Owning a home means being able to sustain it, not just now, but 5, 10, 20 years from now. It means being able to plan for various expenses and renovations, maintaining everything that's actually in your home. With prices still high and mortgage rates hovering near 7%, buying a home and affording to stay in a home requires careful financial planning and even preparing to pay unexpected costs.
Oh, my God. Like, this hit the ceiling two weeks in.
This is the first installment of our new series, Buying a Home and Keeping It. Over the next four weeks, we'll explore what you should know to not just achieve homeownership, but also to sustain it. We'll go over the big expenses homebuyers should expect, from closing costs to annual maintenance. And just in case something hits the fan, we spoke to WSJ reporters as well as home renovation and inspection professionals about ways to manage the cost.
How is the current housing market affecting first‑time buyers?
In this episode, we'll discuss what you need to know to get the best deal on your home. We'll talk to Wall Street Journal reporter Veronica Dagger and Lynette Calfani Cox, CEO of The Money Coach, a financial education company. That's after the break.
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Figuring out whether or not you can afford a home sounds pretty straightforward. But there's a lot that goes into it. Aside from looking at the big numbers, like the actual list price of the home, homeowners should also consider what the housing market looks like. So let's bring in Wall Street Journal personal finance reporter Veronica Dagger. Veronica, we hear that the housing market is loosening up a bit compared to a year ago. But are potential buyers still facing challenges when they shop for a house?
What impact are mortgage rates having on affordability today?
For sure, it is still expensive and home prices are going up in the vast majority of markets in the US. There is not a ton of inventory. There's not a ton of homes to choose from. The upside is that there is more homes to choose from, more inventory than there was a year ago. So that's exciting for some buyers to see more listings out there on the market, more places for them to tour. That said, you're still facing some bidding wars on some of those most desirable locations. And so it's tough. Competition is intense, especially when it comes to starter homes, because there's so few of desirable starter homes on the market. And there's a lot of people who want those properties.
The inventory is a little better than last year, but not great. And if buyers do end up finding the home they want, in comes another frustration, mortgage rates, which have been hovering around 7%.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is this episode’s focus on buying and keeping a home?
0:01–2:37
2
How is the current housing market affecting first‑time buyers?
2:37–4:07
3
What impact are mortgage rates having on affordability today?
4:07–6:01
4
How can shoppers shop lenders to save on mortgage costs?
6:01–9:17
5
Which mortgage types should buyers consider based on their plans?
9:17–12:41
6
What closing costs and fees should homebuyers expect to pay?
12:41–15:19
7
How do ongoing maintenance and hidden expenses change affordability?
15:19–16:34
Speakers
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