Mortgage rates are a big deal when you’re buying a home.
With even the slightest uptick in rates, 30 years of mortgage payments can get substantially more expensive and one of the most substantial threats to mortgage rates is an economic event called inflation. Inflation’s influence on mortgage rates is so large that markets can get jarred on just the mention of it and that’s exactly what happened Wednesday when Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke uttered “inflation” 55 times in a 5-page speech The speech started at 2:45 P.M. ET and by 2:53 P.M., the damage was done.
Market players interpreted Bernanke’s remarks to mean that inflation may be worse that previously expected and mortgage rates moved up by 0.125 percent, or $8 per $100,000 borrowed. This equates to $2,880 in extra payments over 30 years.
If you’re actively shopping for a home loan and rapid rate movements make you nervous, consider locking in your mortgage rate today; rates have been especially jumpy all year and don’t look to smooth out anytime soon.