| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| House, no mortgage | $31,750/yr ≈ $2,650/mo |
| Fed funds rate, Sept 16, 2026 | 3.75–4.00% (+0.25, 12–0) |
| 30-yr mortgage rate, today | ~7.24% |
| 30-yr mortgage rate, Feb 2026 | ~5.90% |
| 20% down on this house | ~$117,000 |
| All-in to buy it today | ~$5,835/mo ≈ $70K/yr |
| High-yield savings APY | ~4–4.5% |
As of Sept 26, 2026. Rates move daily — check current figures before using these for a real decision. Not financial advice.
The full transcript goes up here right after the episode airs — we'd rather post what we actually said than a script that's still changing the day of recording.
In the meantime: our house is paid off, and it still costs $31,750 a year to run. At today's mortgage rates, buying the same house would cost roughly $70,000 a year. That's the number this episode is built around — see the table above for the sourced math.
Find your number: pull your last few months of statements and add up everything it costs you to exist where you live. Compare it to your gut guess.
Do the homework →