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Fortune
Fortune
Lance Lambert

Middle class homebuyers are taking on $7,000 mortgages with plans to later refinance down

(Credit: Getty Images)

In December 2021, when the 30-year fixed mortgage rate still averaged 3.1%, a borrower could get $700,000 mortgage that required monthly payments of principal and interest of just $2,989.

Fast-forward to Wednesday, and a $700,000 mortgage taken out at the current average mortgage rate of 6.90% would equal a $4,610 per month payment, which is $583,000 more over 30 years than that mortgage issued at a 3.1% rate. When adding on insurance and taxes, that monthly payment could easily top $6,000. Not to mention, that calculation doesn't account for the fact that U.S. home prices in June 2022 were 12% above December 2021 levels and 39% above June 2020 levels.

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