Average Long-Term US Mortgage Rate Falls to 6.67%, the Lowest Level Since Early April
The average rate on a 30-year US mortgage fell for the fifth straight week to its lowest level since early April–an encouraging sign for potential buyers who have wrestled with rising home prices.
The long-term rate fell to 6.67 percent from 6.77 percent last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.95 percent. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, fell to 5.80 percent from 5.89 percent last week. A year ago, it was 6.25 percent, Freddie Mac said. High mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers and reduce their purchasing power. That’s helped keep the US housing market in a sales slump that dates back to 2022 when mortgage rates began to climb from the rock-bottom lows they reached during the pandemic. Last year, sales of previously occupied US homes sank to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. They’ve remained sluggish so far this year as many prospective homebuyers have been discouraged by elevated mortgage rates and home prices that have continued to climb, albeit more slowly. High borrowing costs are also putting pressure on the new home market. Last week, the government reported that sales of new US homes fell nearly 14 percent in May from the previous month.
Recent data suggests sales could pick up in the coming months, especially with the recent decline in mortgage rates. A seasonally adjusted index of pending US home sales rose 1.8 percent in May from the previous month and increased 1.1 percent from May last year, the National Association of Realtors said last week. There’s usually a month or two lag between a contract signing and when the sale is finalized, which makes pending home sales a bellwether for future completed home sales.
Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. The key barometer is the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The yield was at 4.33 percent at midday Thursday, down from 4.58 percent just a few weeks ago. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has remained relatively close to its high so far this year of just above 7 percent, set in mid-January. The 30-year rate’s low point this year was in early April when it briefly dipped to 6.62 percent. Mortgage rates have now fallen five weeks in a row, reflecting the recent pullback in bond yields. The recent decline in mortgage rates appears to have encouraged some home shoppers. Last week, mortgage applications rose 2.7 percent from a week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Economists generally expect mortgage rates to stay relatively stable in the coming months, with forecasts calling for the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to remain in a range between 6 percent and 7 percent this year.
