Hindsight is always 20/20, but it wasn't an obvious slam dunk to buy a home with an 18% loan. That's like paying for your house on a credit card. It was even mo

Hindsight is always 20/20, but it wasn't an obvious slam dunk to buy a home with an 18% loan. That's like paying for your house on a credit card. It was even more unaffordable then as it is now (on average, obviously individual markets vary--SF is more $$$ and Detroit way cheaper). http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/just-explain-it/why-mortgage-rates-matter-152241574.html http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/just-explain-it/why-mortgage-... > Affordability dropped to an all-time low as rates climbed to record levels. Simply put, mortgage rates priced most Americans out of the market, and it took years for home sales to rebound.