Why Are Mortgage Rates So High, and How Long Will They Stay Up? (2024)

FAQs

How long will mortgage rates stay elevated? ›

As a result, we expect mortgage rates to remain elevated through most of 2024. These high interest rates will prompt prospective buyers to readjust their housing expectations, but we anticipate housing demand to remain high due to favorable demographics, particularly in the starter home segment.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors, even told CNBC that he doesn't think mortgage rates will reach the 3% range again in his lifetime.

As inflation comes down, mortgage rates will recede as well. Most major forecasts expect rates to go down later in 2024.

Trading Economics offers a more optimistic outlook, predicting a rise to 5% in 2023 before falling to 4.25% in 2024 and 3.25% in 2025. This forecast is supported by Morningstar's analysis, which projects rates between 3.75% and 4%.

Around 6% or below by Q1 2025: "Rates hit 8% towards the end of last year, and right now we are seeing rates closer to 6.875%," says Haymore. "By the first quarter of 2025, mortgage rates could potentially fall below the 6% threshold, or maybe even lower."

If those projections remain and the Fed begins to lower its key rate, mortgage rates will presumably follow suit. Sunbury predicts the Fed will cut rates by between 100 to 125 basis points starting in May or June of 2024. “This would bring the policy rate to 4% to 4.25%,” Sunbury explains.

Overall, there is very little chance that the FOMC will surprise markets in June with an interest rate cut. Yet, markets are starting to expect that the Fed might begin setting expectations that interest rates could move lower in September, or at least later in 2024.

As of May 31, 2024, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 7.11%, 20-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.94%, 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.29%, and 10-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.22%. Average rates for other loan types include 6.95% for an FHA 30-year fixed mortgage and 7.14% for a jumbo 30-year fixed mortgage.

Many prospective homebuyers chose to wait things out in 2023, in the hopes that 2024 would bring a more advantageous market. But so far, with mortgage interest rates still relatively high and housing inventory stubbornly low, it looks like 2024 will remain a challenging time to buy a house.

Will mortgage rates go down in 2026? ›

Adding to the chorus of potential decline is Statista's forecast, which suggests a 1.6% drop in the 30-year fixed rate by 2026. Their prediction rests on the assumption that the 10-year treasury constant maturity rate will also decline, which has historically correlated with movements in mortgage rates.

Mortgage rates can vary greatly depending on the type of loan, the lender, and the current market conditions. You'll likely see increases in mortgage payments in 2024 – whether you're refinancing to a new deal or defaulting to your bank's standard variable rate (SVR) - because interest rates have gone up.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate is expected to fall to the mid-6% range through the end of 2024, potentially dipping into high-5% territory by the end of 2025. Here's where mortgage interest rates are headed for the rest of the year and how that will impact the housing market as a whole.

When inflation is running high, the Fed raises those short-term rates to slow the economy and reduce pressure on prices. But higher interest rates make it more expensive for banks to borrow, so they raise their rates on consumer loans, including mortgages, to compensate.

The benefit of a fixed-rate mortgage is that your interest rate stays consistent. But your monthly mortgage bill can still change — in fact, it generally fluctuates at least a little bit every year. Rising home values and insurance premiums have caused unusually dramatic increases for some homeowners in recent years.

If you're in a fixed-rate mortgage, changes in the fed fund rate won't impact you much. However, if you have an ARM or HELOC loan, your payment could increase significantly.

There's no doubt that record-low mortgage rates helped fuel the housing boom of 2020 and 2021. Some think it was the single most important factor in pushing the residential real estate market into overdrive. When mortgage rates surged higher than they had been in two decades, the housing market slowed dramatically.