Hidden Costs Push Homeownership Beyond the Mortgage

Homeowners across the U.S. are feeling a jump in non-mortgage costs—homeowners’ insurance, property taxes, and HOA fees—that can dwarf monthly payments. Insurance rates have spiked due to higher repair costs and climate disasters, taxes have climbed with rising home values, and HOAs are more common and costly, pushing total housing costs higher even as mortgage rates ease and homeowners build equity.