How to afford a mortgage as interest rates and home prices rise

It’s no secret that it’s a tough market for prospective home buyers.

In October, U.S. buyers needed to earn $107,281 to afford the median monthly mortgage payment of $2,682 for a “typical home,” Redfin reported this week. 

That’s 45.6% higher than the $73,668 yearly income needed to cover the median mortgage payment 12 months ago, the report finds.

The primary reason is rising mortgage interest rates, said Melissa Cohn, regional vice president at William Raveis Mortgage. “The bottom line is mortgage rates have more than doubled since the beginning of the year,” she said.

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