No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.
We all know that buying a home costs a lot of money. But exactly how much can you expect to pay? If you’re thinking of buying a home in Washington State in 2023, this article will provide you with the details you’re looking for in terms of the cost of a home purchase.
The median price for a home in Washington State was $579,575. With a 10% down payment (the average amount paid), that would result in a loan amount of $57,957 and a monthly payment of $3,203 at the current interest rate of 5.875% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.
Closing costs in this scenario could be around$15,321 based on the average closing cost amount of between 2% to 5% of the loan amount.
What’s the current cost of buying a home in Washington State, in 2023? That largely depends on where you live. Home prices vary widely throughout the state, and are highest in and around Seattle. For this overview, we will be using median and average figures for the state as a whole.
According to the real estate data company Zillow, the median home price for the state of Washington was $579,575 in June 2023. That was 5.2% decrease compared to last year. Of course, prices are higher in the Seattle metro area. But for the purposes of determining home buying costs statewide, we’ll use $579,575 as our starting figure.
The minimum down payment for a mortgage loan in Washington State can vary based on the type of loan being used and other factors. Conventional home loans offer down payments as low as 3% these days. The FHA program allows borrowers to put 3.5% down. And military members can use a VA loan to finance 100% of their purchases.
But the average down payment in Washington is higher than these minimum requirements. On average, home buyers across the state make down payments of around 10%. Ten percent of the $579,575 median home price mentioned earlier is $57,957.
But don’t be too concerned if you can’t afford a down payment of that size. As mentioned earlier, there are low-down-payment options available as well.
The down payment is an out-of-pocket cost of buying a home in Washington. It’s an investment that must be paid during your closing week. But the money doesn’t necessarily have to come from your own pocket. Many mortgage programs today allow borrowers to use down payment gifts from family, close friends, and other approved donors.
The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan was 5.875%. That’s based on the weekly survey conducted by Freddie Mac. Borrowers with excellent credit, and/or those who use an adjustable-rate mortgage loan, can often qualify for better-than-average rates.
But the 30-year fixed is by far the most commonly used mortgage loan product in Washington, so that’s what we’ll use to continue our cost analysis.
Using a loan amount of $500,349 and a mortgage rate of 5.875%, the monthly payments would come to around $3,203 That’s if they were spread over 30 years, as would be the case when using a standard 30-year fixed mortgage loan.
Closing costs typically average around 2% to 5% of the loan amount (though they can fall outside this range in some cases). In this scenario, our base loan amount was $500,349. That would put the closing costs somewhere between $11,118 to $27,797 most likely. But there are many variables that can affect closing costs. This is just an estimate.
This is a theoretical look at the cost of buying a home in Washington State in 2023. As you can see from this exercise, there are many variables that can influence the actual costs you pay when buying a house in Washington — and we didn’t even talk about discount points or mortgage insurance.
Get an estimate: Please contact us if you’d like to get a more precise estimate of your prospective housing costs. We can give you a fairly accurate estimate of your monthly payments and closing costs, based on the amount you want to borrow and other factors. That’s the best way to determine the cost of buying a home in Washington State.
If you are considering buying a home in 2023 in Washington State, you’ll need a mortgage to finance the purchase, and Sammamish Mortgage can help. We have been helping countless borrowers secure the home loan they need to buy a home in Washington, Idaho, Colorado, and Oregon since 1992, and we’d love to help you too. Get in touch with us today to discuss all our mortgage programs and to have all your loan-related questions answered!
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
{hours_open} - {hours_closed} Pacific
No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.