Will It Last? Experts Weigh In on Mortgage Rate Trend and Housing Market Rebound

• Average 30-year U.S. mortgage rate decreased from 6.69% to 6.63% in the past week, offering potential homebuyers more favorable conditions.
• The decline in mortgage rates, including 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, from 7.79% in recent weeks has provided financial relief for homebuyers, creating greater affordability.
• Mortgage rate fluctuations are influenced by the Federal Reserve's stance, with expectations of further declines this year, potentially reaching around 6% by year-end, impacting the busy spring housing market.

As the spring housing market draws near, potential homeowners will be pleased to learn that the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate decreased this week.

According to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped from 6.69% to 6.63% this past week. The rate averaged 6.09% a year ago.

This week, borrowing prices for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages-which are common among homeowners renewing their house loans-also decreased, bringing the average rate down from 5.96% to 5.94%. According to Freddie Mac, it averaged 5.14% a year ago.

In the weeks after the average 30-year mortgage rate reached 7.79%, the highest since late 2000, the cost of purchasing a house has mostly decreased. The weekly average for this year has varied from 6.60% to 6.69%.

Homebuyers now have greater financial breathing room as a result of reduced monthly mortgage payments due to the reduction in rates since their high last autumn. This is because there are fewer available properties for sale and rising prices.

Mortgage rates have declined, roughly mirroring changes in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders utilize to determine loan prices. In anticipation that inflation would have sufficiently decreased from its high two summers ago for the Federal Reserve to start lowering interest rates this year, the yield has mainly decreased.

Expectations from investors on future inflation and the demand for U.S. Home loan rates are influenced by Treasurys and the Federal Reserve's actions on interest rates.

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Navigating Mortgage Rate Trends Amidst Federal Reserve's Stance and Expert Predictions

The Federal Reserve made it clear on Wednesday that it "does not expect it will be appropriate" to lower rates "until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward" its target of 2%. The Fed kept its primary interest rate unchanged. It also hinted that it probably won't start lowering rates in March, contrary to what many Wall Street traders had been expecting.

Even yet, a lot of experts predict that mortgage rates will continue to decline this year, with the average rate on a 30-year house loan expected to be about 6% by year's end.

In the spring, which is usually the busiest time of year for house sales, potential buyers should have more purchasing power if rates continue to decline.

Over the past two years, high mortgage rates and a lack of available homes have kept the U.S. housing market stuck in a rut. Sales of previously inhabited houses in the United States fell 18.7% from 2022 to an almost 30-year low last year.

As of right now, the average 30-year mortgage rate is still far higher than it was only two years ago, at 3.55%.

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