Average closing costs for a single-family home rose by 13.4% in 2021, according to a new analysis by CoreLogic, a real estate research firm. That equates to about $6,905 including transfer taxes and $3,860 when transfer taxes are excluded.

Home buyers also are facing higher borrowing costs from mortgage rates and higher home prices. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.11% last week, according to Freddie Mac. Since the beginning of the year, mortgage rates have jumped by 1.8 percentage points, which has added about $400 to the average monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

What’s more, the average U.S. home price rose by more than $50,000 last year, CoreLogic reports.

“As the mortgage industry comes off two years of record-low interest rates and red-hot consumer demand, lenders are now pivoting to address increasing headwinds from higher loan origination costs and lower origination volumes,” says Bob Jennings, an executive at CoreLogic Underwriting Solutions. “As the market tightens in 2022, it will be interesting to see how lenders and borrowers respond and how these key metrics move.”

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The share of mortgage applications with adjustable-rate mortgages doubled last week when compared to three months ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. ARMs, which start at one rate and then fluctuate after a set period, comprised more than 9% of loans and 17% of the dollar volume.

ARMs were blamed for contributing to the housing bubble of the mid-2000s, offering teaser low rates to borrowers that, once they reset, led to some homeowners no longer being able to afford their mortgage. Lenders say they’re stricter about who qualifies for ARMs nowadays.

The latest lower introductory rates from ARMs may grow more enticing as home buyers watch other rates quickly climb. The average contract interest rate for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with conforming loan balances ($647,200 or less) rose to 5.37% last week. That is up from 3.17% just a year ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports. The average rate on a 5-year ARM, however, was 4.28% last week.

The doubled share of ARM applications compared to three months ago coincides with the 1.5 percentage point increase in the 30-year fixed rate, says Joel Kan, an MBA economist.

“As buyers continue to navigate today’s housing market and rising interest rates, many are considering adjustable-rate mortgages,” says Glenn Brunker, president of Ally Home. “ARMs can help buyers save money over a fixed rate because they often offer a lower monthly mortgage payment for the initial period of the loan, typically 5, 7, or 10 years.”

When determining whether to choose a fixed or ARM mortgage, borrowers likely will want to make two main considerations, Brunker says: How long they’ll be in the home and their personal finances and affordability. “The interest rate on a fixed-rate mortgage is locked in for the life of the loan—whether it’s 15, 20, or 30 years,” he says. “So if a buyer is planning to stay in their home for an extended period of time, the peace of mind that comes with a fixed-rate mortgage is beneficial.” Also, he notes that ARM loans may increase if interest rates rise further when they do reach that adjustable reset period. But there is some protection offered on ARMs based on periodic and lifetime caps on interest rate increases, which borrowers can look into before they commit.

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The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage barely budged this week, but it’s still stressing home shoppers feeling concern about being priced out. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.10%, down slightly from 5.11% last week, Freddie Mac reports.

But it is one week before the Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates further, Nadia Evangelou, National Association of REALTORS® senior economist and director of forecasting, says on the association’s blog. The Fed’s key rate does not have a direct impact on mortgage rates but it does often influence them.

Borrowers may be getting nervous about how high rates could go. Higher rates already are forcing them to increase their budgets. Current buyers need to spend about $25,000 more to buy a comparable home this year than a year ago, Evangelou says.

“The combination of swift home price growth and the fastest mortgage rate increase in over 40 years is finally affecting purchase demand,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Home buyers navigating the current environment are coping in a variety of ways, including switching to adjustable-rate mortgages, moving away from expensive coastal cities, and looking to more affordable suburbs. We expect the decline in demand to soften home price growth to a more sustainable pace later this year.

NAR has predicted a 10% drop in home sales for 2022.

Still, while panic continues over higher mortgages, economists note that rates remain lower than historical averages. In 2002, the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was about 7%, which is much higher than this week’s average of 5.10%.

Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending April 28:

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 5.10%, with an average 0.8 point, falling from last week’s 5.11% average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 2.98%.
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 4.40%, with an average 0.9 point, increasing from last week’s 4.38% average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 2.31%.
• 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 3.78%, with an average 0.3 point, increasing from last week’s 3.75% average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 2.64%.

Freddie Mac reports commitment rates along with average points to better reflect the total upfront costs of obtaining a mortgage.

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There’s reason talk of sticker shock has grown increasingly common in real estate: Home prices and mortgage rates have significantly increased home buyers’ costs in just one year.

Mortgage rates have risen at the fastest pace in four decades. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.10% this week, Freddie Mac reports. A year ago, rates averaged below 3%.

Home prices are escalating as well. The median existing-home price for all housing types in March was $373,300, up 15% compared to a year earlier, according to National Association of REALTORS® data.

The combination of higher rates and home prices has made monthly payments quickly climb. Home buyers of a median-price home are now facing a monthly mortgage payment that is nearly 50% higher than a year ago, George Ratiu, manager of economic research at realtor.com®, told MarketWatch. The impact is adding an extra $580 to buyers’ monthly expenses.

“It is not surprising that many are stepping back from the market, hoping that conditions will improve,” Ratiu says.

Many buyers “were already constrained by low inventories, which have been driving prices higher,” Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a recent research note, as quoted by MarketWatch. “Sustained increases in mortgage rates will be an additional headwind for home sales going forward.”

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Mortgage loans backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs can help make homeownership more attainable for military families with its offers of zero-down-payment loans. But many vets or service members may not know what’s required to use one or how they work, a new study shows.

A new study of 1,000 active-duty service members and veterans by the Navy Federal Credit Union found that nearly all respondents were aware of what a VA loan is, but many respondents did show some confusion about their use. Some of that confusion included:

• Seventeen percent of veterans and 45% of active-duty members believe a down payment of more than 20% is necessary.
• About half of active-duty members and nearly one-third of veterans believe a VA loan can only be used once.
• Nearly 60% of active-duty members and 41% of veterans believe VA loans have longer processing times.
• Fifty-eight percent of active-duty members and 40% of veterans think VA loans will have delays due to all the paperwork involved.
• Many of the respondents believe VA loans don’t provide much savings compared with conventional loans.

The National Association of REALTORS® and the Department of Veterans Affairs recently launched a joint video series for REALTORS® to help more veterans and active-duty buyers purchase a home using VA loans. The two-part series aims to dispel misconceptions about the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program(link is external) and guide REALTORS® and buyers through the process.

“Veterans and service members face unique challenges when purchasing a home, especially in this strong housing market,” NAR President Leslie Rouda Smith, who moderated the video discussions, said. “These videos will help our members navigate the VA home loan process and maximize its benefits for veterans.”

Read more: NAR and VA Release New Video Series on VA Home Loans

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The sharp rise in mortgage rates this year has added hundreds of dollars to new monthly mortgage payments.

In fact, climbing rates have caused the monthly amount of a new mortgage payment to increase by an average of $258.57. That equals an average of an extra $3,102.84 per year and an average of $93,085.20 over the lifetime of a 30-year loan, according to a new LendingTree study that puts a dollar amount on how much rates have affected mortgage costs.

LendingTree calculated the difference between average monthly mortgage payments of a 30-year fixed-rate loan in each state based on average annual percentage rates in January and April 2022. They found that mortgage payments have risen the most in California, Washington, and Massachusetts. Mortgage payments have increased the least in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky, the study finds.

APRs on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage have jumped by an average of 1.46 percentage points across all 50 states since January, when the average APR was 3.79%. In April, it was 5.25%, according to LendingTree.

“Though mortgage APRs have already significantly increased since the start of the year, they may rise even further by 2023,” says Jacob Channel, LendingTree’s senior economic analyst. “This is especially true given that the Federal Reserve is poised to raise the Fed funds rate multiple times this year—including what is likely to be a 50 basis point hike announced this week—which will likely put even more upward pressure on mortgage rates.”

While mortgage rates are still low by historical standards, home buyers also are facing higher prices for homes. In the first quarter, 70% of the largest metros in the U.S. posted double-digit price growth in median single-family existing-home sales prices, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Tuesday. Read more: U.S. Metros See Major Price Appreciation

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