As property taxes and homeowner insurance premiums continue rising, homeowners are struggling to keep up with their mortgage payments.

When rates fell to around 6.7% (the lowest level in months) in early July, applications for home loans promptly ticked up, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. But when the average 30-year fixed rate jumped to around 6.8% last week, mortgage activity plummeted 10%.

The typical monthly payment on a median-priced $440,950 home at today’s 6.75% mortgage rate is roughly $2,288. (That’s assuming a 20% down payment and excluding tax and insurance.) Last week, a median-priced home at a 6.72% mortgage rate would have cost homebuyers $2,281 per month—$7 more than what buyers would pay today.

July 18 mortgage rates hold steady at 6.625% as builders offer discounts and incentives to attract hesitant buyers.

Not all mortgages are created equal. Learn the pros, cons and ideal use cases for today’s most popular home loans, so you can shop with confidence.

The average rate on 30-year fixed home loans increased to 6.72% for the week ending July 10, up from 6.67% last week.

A reverse mortgage can be a powerful way to supplement Social Security income and give your retirement budget a little more flexibility. Whether you're looking to cover essential expenses, pay for medical care or want to strategically delay claiming Social Security, tapping into your home equity might help you live more comfortably in retirement.

You'll get a mortgage loan estimate after you apply for a loan but before you've been officially approved. To evaluate an estimate, you'll want to brush up on your mortgage vocabulary and have a good sense of how much house you can afford. Your mortgage loan estimate will outline the terms of your potential loan from a particular lender.