Look, I need to tell you a story that still bothers me. And then I'm gonna show you something that might actually help if you're thinking about buying a house this year.
The $180 That Changed Everything
About a year ago, I'm working with this couple. Mid-thirties. Good jobs. They saved for almost three years straight.
We get on a call. Run all the numbers. Figure out what they can actually afford without losing sleep over it.
$2,800 a month. That was their number.
So they go house hunting. And here's the thing: they were smart about it. They didn't fall in love with some house they had no business looking at. They stayed disciplined.
Then they found it. Three bedrooms. Room for the dog. Fifteen minutes from her mom.
Perfect.
They write an offer. Two other people want the same house. Things get competitive. Inspection turns up a few things. Normal stuff. Nothing crazy.
Final payment after everything shakes out?
$2,980.
Just $180 more than what we talked about.
Still qualified. Bank still says yes. Debt-to-income still totally fine. Nothing about this deal was risky.
But that number in their head? $2,800. And the number on the paper? $2,980.
So they wanted to "think about it."
You probably know what happened next.
They didn't buy it.
Fast forward to today: that house is worth $25,000 to $30,000 more. Their rent went up. They're still looking.
And the guy told me last month: "Keith, we should have just bought the house."
Yeah. They should have.
Here's What I've Learned
That gap between your pre-approval number and your final number after negotiations? That's not because somebody messed up.
That's just how buying a house works sometimes.
The market requires what it requires. Sometimes the numbers line up perfectly. A lot of times? There's a gap.
And for years, my job in that moment has been to walk people through it. Show them the math. Explain why it still works.
Sometimes that conversation lands. Sometimes, like with that couple, it doesn't.
Because you can show someone all the spreadsheets you want, but if the number in their head doesn't match the number on the paper, they hesitate. And hesitation in a competitive market usually means you lose.
Which is why I wanted to reach out about something we're doing right now.
What We're Offering (Through June 30)
We're covering the cost of a 1-0 buydown on our side. It shows up as a lender-paid cost on your disclosures. You don't pay extra for it.
Here's what that actually means:
Your first year of payments gets calculated like your rate is a full percentage point lower than what you locked in at.
Lock at 6.5%? Your first year payments look like you got 5.5%.
On a $400,000 home, that's roughly $250 to $320 off your monthly payment in year one.
(These are example numbers. Yours will depend on your actual loan, credit, and property.)
After year one, your payment goes to exactly what it was always gonna be at your locked rate. No surprises. No balloon payment. No tricks.
And right now, through June 30, we're covering that cost. The seller doesn't chip in. You don't come out of pocket. And if you're in that situation where the final number came in a little higher than you planned, this might be the thing that closes the gap.
If You're Thinking About Buying
Already under contract and the numbers are tight? Head to the home page and fill out the quiz. Tell me your target payment. If this buydown can help close the gap, we'll know pretty quickly.
Haven't started shopping yet but thinking about it? Fill out the quiz anyway. We can build the buydown into your plan from the beginning, so if negotiations push your payment up a bit, you've already got something to absorb it.
Here's What I'll Do
I'm not asking you to commit to anything today.
Just fill out the quiz on the home page.
I'll run two sets of numbers for you: one with a normal payment, one with the buydown, so you can see exactly what the difference looks like for your situation.
Then you can decide what makes sense.
If the numbers don't work, I'll tell you straight up and we'll figure out what it would take to get you there.
But if they do work, and for a lot of people right now they do, at least you'll have all the information. At least you won't be in that position a year from now wondering if you should have moved forward.
The program runs through June 30. After that, I honestly don't know if we'll be able to offer it again.
Next Step
Fill out the quiz on the home page. I'll send you two payment scenarios side by side: one with the buydown, one without, so you can see exactly what changes for you.
No pressure. No obligation.
Go to KeithGo.com and take the quiz at the top of the page.
Happy to answer any questions,
Keith
P.S. That couple from the story? They're still renting. Still hoping rates will drop. Still watching prices climb. I think about them a lot, because a 1-0 buydown would have probably saved that deal. I can't go back and fix that one. But if you're in a similar spot right now, maybe I can help you avoid making the same call they did.
