Rates are up. Your savings are the lever you control.

A simple example

This is an illustration, not a quote. It shows principal and interest only, on a 30-year fixed loan, for a $400,000 home. It leaves out taxes, homeowners insurance and any mortgage insurance, which can apply at both 10 and 15 percent down. Your own rate depends on your credit, loan type and lender.

At an example rate of 7.28 percent (the Freddie Mac average for the week ending Oct 1, 2026):

• 10 percent down ($40,000) means a $360,000 loan and about $2,463 a month.
• 15 percent down ($60,000) means a $340,000 loan and about $2,326 a month.

That is about $137 less every month from $20,000 more saved.

A year earlier, Freddie Mac's average was 6.34 percent. At that example rate:

• 10 percent down is about $2,238 a month.
• 15 percent down is about $2,113 a month.

That is about $124 less every month.

Now compare the two rates on 10 percent down. A rise from 6.34 to 7.28 percent adds about $225 a month. Saving $20,000 more would give back about $137 of that $225 each month. That is a big step, so set a pace you can keep.

Why savings take planning

Realtor.com puts the median down payment at $30,400 in the third quarter of 2025. Saving that much can take time. Starting sooner and getting help from people who care about you makes the gap smaller.

Three moves you control

1. Set a monthly savings amount and automate it.
2. Share your goal with family and friends who may want to give.
3. Look at down payment assistance in your area. Programs have their own rules.

Before you aim higher, keep some cash for moving costs and repairs. A larger down payment helps less if it leaves you with no cushion.

We cannot tell you where rates will go. Nobody can. What you save is yours to shape.