A proposal floated by the Trump administration to create a 50-year mortgage product to improve housing affordability could offer significant immediate savings to homebuyers, but at the steep cost of a doubled interest payment burden over the life of the loan, according to a recent analysis by John Lovallo of UBS Securities.

Caveating that many basic questions remain unanswered, a back-of-the-envelope calculation shows a clear trade-off between immediate monthly affordability and long-term debt accumulation. Based on Lovallo’s estimates, the extended loan term could lower the monthly payment on a median-priced home by roughly $119.

While the short-term financial relief is meaningful for consumers struggling with current housing costs, the long-term fiscal penalty is severe. According to t

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