While mortgage rates have recently risen slightly, going from an average 3.97% a year ago to 4.16% now, they are still way below average historical mortgage interest rates. For the average home buyer putting 20% down, that translates into a monthly payment that is $21 more. This situation is described more fully in a recent article in CNN Money online. To read the whole piece, go to http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/15/real_estate/rising-mortgage-rates/index.html?iid=SF_LN