Two things before you accept either the rate or the price ceiling: get a fresh competitive quote, and know your budget is probably higher than you think. On the rate: a quote can land higher than what's actually available to you, often because it reflects a lower credit tier. Confirm where your credit really puts you and shop the number. On price: with household income around $100,000 a year, we regularly see buyers qualify well above a low-two-hundreds purchase price, into the mid-three-hundreds or higher, unless property taxes or insurance are unusually high in your area. Treat any single figure as illustrative. The real number moves with rates, taxes, and your other monthly debts, and only runs true on your actual profile. On waiting for rates to drop: nobody can promise where rates go, so we don't build a plan around a forecast. Buy the house that fits your life and budget, and treat a refinance later as a bonus if rates fall, never the plan. And the boundary we always draw: we can tell you how much you can qualify for, but only you can decide how much you're comfortable spending. The free Roadmap conversation (about 20 minutes) is where we put your real qualification range and monthly payment in front of you.