More great news for homebuyers was released this week. On Tuesday, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that its Housing Affordability Index (HAI) rose 13.6% in January to 166.8, a new record high. In fact, the relationship between home prices, mortgage interest rates and family income is the most favorable since tracking began in 1970.

The HAI is a relative index where a value of 100 means that a family with the median income has exactly enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced existing single-family home. The higher the index, the better housing affordability is for buyers.

According to NAR President Charles McMillan, “The buying power of a typical family has risen significantly. With the drop in interest rates, a median-income family can afford a home costing $20,000 more than a year ago for the same monthly mortgage payment.”

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