Mortgage Rates

Understanding Today’s Mortgage Rates: Is 3% Coming Back?

Understanding Today’s Mortgage Rates: Is 3% Coming Back?

A lot of buyers are pressing pause on their plans these days, holding out hope that mortgage rates will come down – maybe even back to the historic-low 3% from a few years ago. But here’s the thing: those rates were never meant to last. They were a short-term response to a very specific moment […]

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Mortgage demand dips over holiday but keeps yearly momentum

Mortgage applications decreased by 3.9% for the week ending May 30, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). On an unadjusted basis, the index fell 15% during the week marked by the Memorial Day holiday. But economists and loan officers say the year-to-date landscape looks much better. “Mortgage applications decreased over the week,

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Home equity lending has strong two-year runway ahead

The next 12-to-24 months will be a good time for the home equity lending market because of the conditions affecting the first lien business, experts say. With elevated mortgage rates, the amount of equity homeowners hold right now and the relative shortage of inventory “it’s a really lucrative environment for home equity, and has been

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Mortgage rates aren’t hampering millennials’ homebuying interest

Millennials are the only generation showing increased interest in buying a home in the next six months, according to a new survey by Realtor.com. The survey, conducted this spring, found that 23% of millennials plan to buy a home, up from 15% in September 2024. By contrast, 69% of Americans across all generations said they

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Americans tapped $25B in home equity in Q1 2025

U.S. homeowners tapped nearly $25 billion in home equity through second-lien mortgages during the first quarter of 2025 — the largest volume for this period in 17 years, according to the ICE Mortgage Technology‘s newest Mortgage Monitor report. That marks a 22% increase compared to the same quarter last year. The first quarter is typically

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Mortgage rates unfazed by crazy economic headlines

In one of the most chaotic weeks for economic headlines of the year, mortgage rates remained relatively stable, which is a stark contrast to the madness caused by the Godzilla tariffs a few weeks ago. Can this stability last?  Despite elevated rates, having fewer wild fluctuations on a day-to-day basis creates a healthier mortgage market

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Inflation is almost at 2%. Will that prompt a Fed rate cut?

The good news is the preferred measure of inflation for the Federal Reserve keeps trending downward. The bad news is that the economic backdrop that could lead to lower rates keeps getting more complicated. According to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index for April rose

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Luxury rentals gain ground as more high-end buyers opt to lease

As mortgage rates remain elevated and housing inventory remains tight, luxury rentals are increasingly becoming a preferred choice for high-income U.S. households, marking a shift in how high-end housing is being viewed and occupied across the U.S. Industry data shows a marked uptick in demand for luxury rentals, especially in markets outside of traditional urban

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Monthly mortgage payments on the rise, but not for long

Homebuyers in the current Spring season are having to come up with larger monthly principal and interest payments, although a measure of relief might be on the way. The Mortgage Bankers Association Purchase Application Payment Index rose to $2,186 in April from $2,173 in March, although it is down from $2,256 one year ago. “Homebuyer

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Mortgage rates rise again to highest level since February

Mortgage rates rose for the third consecutive week, and are now at their highest level since the start of February, the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.89% on May 29, up 3 basis points from last week when it was 6.86%, but below one year ago at this

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