Pre-Approved at the Perfect Payment — Then the House Pushed It Higher

Yes! You Can Buy a Home with Keith Goeringer · May 14, 2026 · 15m

A couple Keith worked with about a year ago walked away from their dream home over a $180-a-month gap. The bank said yes. Keith said yes. Nothing about the deal was risky.

But the negotiated payment came in a little higher than the number they got pre-approved at — and they froze. Today, that same house has appreciated $25,000 to $30,000 without them. Their rent went up. They're scrolling Zillow at 1 AM. And the guy told Keith last week, word for word: "We should have just done it."

In this episode, Keith breaks down why almost every deal ends up at a slightly higher payment than the…