It’s no secret that the road to homeownership has been very difficult lately. A conflation of factors, including soaring mortgage rates, high prices and lack of inventory, has left many would-be buyers on the sidelines. Yet, according to financial guru and host Dave Ramsey, even though house prices are at an all-time-high, you should still consider buying.
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“Median house prices are at an all-time high in history right now. I’m not predicting it to go nuts again, but don’t sit around waiting on the market to ‘correct.’ Prices are going to go up. Rates are going to go up and down — and you can refinance,” Ramsey posted on March 21 on X (formerly Twitter).
Indeed, the median national home price is $412,095, up 6.4% in the past year, according to Redfin. In comparison, in April 2020, the median national price stood at $304,179.
Ramsey has reiterated his stance for months, including in December 2023 on his namesake show, where he spoke with a caller who asked whether he should hold off on buying a home until the rates come down. Ramsey responded by telling the caller to “marry the house, date the rate” — in other words, buy now and refinance later.
“You’re not married to the mortgage, you’re married to the house,” Ramsey said, noting that if the caller keeps on waiting for prices to drop, he might wait too long.
Regarding the mortgage, Ramsey said, “It’s not a permanent decision. No one says you have to keep a mortgage.”
“It’s a really weird time to buy, but there’s nothing wrong with buying right now,” Ramsey noted. “If you wait two years, prices are going to be more. And if you buy now at a higher rate and the rates come down, just refinance.”
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Dave Ramsey: Median House Prices Are at an All-Time High, Should You Still Consider Buying?
