I secured an $849 monthly mortgage payment on my first home in New York. A few years later, I feel trapped by it.

As lucky as I feel to have my own property, I also feel handcuffed to my home with an affordable mortgage in an unaffordable market. Melissa Jean-Baptiste I bought a home in 2019 for $195,000 with a $849 monthly mortgage payment that's hard to give up. I make more money and split my bills now, but this market makes buying another home feel impossible. For now, I'm looking at other cities while working toward saving a six-figure down payment. In 2013, I threw reality out the window and reached…