09/05/2026
🏡 Same income. Same down payment. Different rate. Different buying power. 📉📈
A 1% change in your mortgage rate can make a surprisingly big difference in how much home you can afford.
In our example:
💰 $90,000 household income
🏦 $20,000 down payment
🚗 $0 monthly debt
📅 30-year mortgage
At 5.71%, estimated affordability is about $283K
At 6.71%, about $261K
At 7.71%, about $242K
That’s roughly $19,000 less buying power when the rate rises by 1%. 😮
The takeaway? Don’t look at home price alone — your mortgage rate can change the picture dramatically.
🔗 Use the WikiBudget Mortgage Affordability Calculator to see what a 1% rate change does to your budget.
👉👉 https://wikibudget.com/1-percent-mortgage-rate-affordability/
