Core Insights - A Zillow analysis indicates that a mortgage rate drop to 4.43% is necessary for median-income U.S. homebuyers to afford the median-priced home, assuming a 20% down payment, which many first-time buyers cannot afford [2][5] - In high-cost coastal metros like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, even a 0% mortgage rate would not make homes affordable for median-income households due to high associated costs [3][4] - Conversely, in many Midwestern markets, current mortgage rates are already low enough for median-income buyers to afford median-priced homes [4] Affordability Challenges - The analysis suggests that mortgage rates would need to decline significantly for typical homes to be affordable for median-income buyers, which is currently deemed unrealistic [5][6] - Zillow's economic analyst warns that expectations for substantial drops in mortgage rates or home prices may lead to disappointment, as such corrections would require a significant economic slowdown [6]
Zillow: It’d take an ‘unrealistic’ mortgage rate drop to restore housing market affordability