With 30-year fixed home loan rates remaining over 6% for three years now, 5% home loan rates are a faint memory. Most housing experts aren't expecting mortgage rates to move much lower through the end of this year, or even in 2026. However, a major economic setback could change that. When will mortgage rates go down to 5%? What would trigger lower mortgage rates? Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale said it's a matter of time. "The most likely catalyst is time. As time goes by, as you get closer t ...

Core Insights - The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.89% as of May 29, 2025, showing a slight increase from 6.86% the previous week and a decrease from 7.03% a year ago [1][5] - The 15-year FRM also increased to an average of 6.03% from 6.01% last week, down from 6.36% a year ago [5] - Freddie Mac emphasizes the importance of shopping around for mortgage rates to potentially save thousands of dollars [1] Company Overview - Freddie Mac's mission is to enhance liquidity, stability, and affordability in the housing market across all economic cycles, having assisted millions of families since 1970 [3] - The Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) focuses on conventional, conforming, fully amortizing home purchase loans for borrowers with excellent credit who put 20% down [2][4]

Core Insights - Freddie Mac reported that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.76% as of May 8, 2025, remaining unchanged from the previous week [1][6] - A year ago, the 30-year FRM was higher at 7.09%, indicating a decrease of 30 basis points year-over-year [2][6] - The 15-year FRM averaged 5.89%, down from 5.92% the previous week, and was 6.38% a year ago, showing a year-over-year decline [6] Market Trends - Mortgage rates have remained stable over the past weeks, contributing to an increase in purchase applications [2] - The current mortgage rates are lower compared to the same period last year, which had seen declining purchase applications [2] Freddie Mac's Mission - Freddie Mac aims to enhance liquidity, stability, and affordability in the housing market across various economic cycles, having assisted millions of families since its inception in 1970 [3]

Mortgage rates haven't moved higher in eight weeks, and this week they took a dive. The average 30-year fixed rate is down 15 basis points this week, and buyers are noticing. Freddie Mac reports that purchase loan applications are seeing the highest year-over-year growth in more than four years. This could leave potential home buyers wondering, “Is this a good time to buy a house?” In this article: Are mortgage rates dropping? As of Sept. 11, Freddie Mac reported that rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortg ...

Mortgage rates are down again this week. They gradually decreased in anticipation of the Federal Reserve cutting the federal funds rate at its Sept. 17 meeting. Now that the Fed has lowered its rate by 25 basis points, will mortgage rates continue to trend downward — or will they stall? And do these lower rates mean it’s a good time to buy a house? In this article: Are mortgage rates dropping? As of Sept. 18, Freddie Mac reported that rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages were 6.26%. Although this is t ...

Mortgage rates have increased this week, after either decreasing or holding steady for nine straight weeks. Last week, the Federal Reserve lowered its rate for the first time in 2025, and while people may have expected that cut to push rates farther down, the opposite has happened. So, where are home loan rates headed, and is it still a good time to buy a house? In this article: Are mortgage rates dropping? As of Sept. 25, Freddie Mac reported that rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages were 6.30%. This ...

Mortgage rates are significantly higher than their sub-3% lows from 2021, but compared to the 1980s, they’re pretty low. There’s no crystal ball to show how rates will move in the coming months or years. Still, understanding historical mortgage rate trends can help you make a more informed home-buying decision — and maybe lift a weight off your shoulders when you realize that, historically speaking, today’s interest rates aren’t as high as you might think. Read more: The best mortgage lenders for first-t ...

The Federal Reserve, or “the Fed,” is the central bank of the U.S. and plays an outsized role in shaping the nation’s monetary policy. One of its key functions is setting interest rates. Those rates determine how much Americans earn on their savings and how much they pay to borrow — including when buying a home. The Fed indirectly impacts mortgage rates by setting what’s called the federal funds rate, and that rate impacts a wide variety of financial products. As a result, when the fed funds rate rises and ...