[croissants]

> What was the median price of a home in the US in 1980 vs 2020. Then, what was the median salary in the US in 1980 vs 2020. Thats the real comparison.

Per the St. Louis Fed [1], the median American home price in 1980 was ~65k. The median American home price in 2019 was ~320k. That's an approximately 4.9x increase. Also from the St. Louis Fed, the 1980 median American family income was ~21k, and the 2019 median American family income was ~86k. That's an approximately 4.1x increase. So it looks like median house price has increased about 20% more than median salary.

[1] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS

[2] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEFAINUSA646N

[sokoloff]

Yes and the interest rates in 1980 were such that the mortgage P&I payments on a 1980 mortgage were $1106 per $100K borrowed vs $422 per $100K @ 3% today.

65K borrowed in 1980 cost $719/mo. 320K borrowed today costs $1349/mo (both are principal and interest only).

$719 in 1980 is $2258 in 2020.

[0] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE30US - I picked 13% as an approximate (somewhat low even) average rate for 1980.

[1] https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

[xyzzy123]

Yeah the "whats my monthly" being about the same doesn't quite capture what's happening though.

Compare what happens when you get a raise or a small windfall and try to pay your mortgage off early.

I'd pick "small amount, high interest" over "massive amount, low rates" if that were an option.

[sokoloff]

That option requires governments to not be printing massive amounts of money, though.

I am planning to refinance again (back to a 30-year mortgage) and won't be in any hurry whatsoever to pay it off early. Borrowing money at 3% nominal with the (hopeful) prospects of economic growth allowing inflation to return means that I expect/hope to be borrowing that money at negative real rates in the back half of that loan.

[pb7]

Something else to consider: how does the median house today compare to the median house then? Is it bigger and better? Same? Worse? Perhaps expectations have changed in 40 years.