The Drop in Mortgage Rates Brings Good News for Homebuyers... for now!
Over the past few weeks, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate from Freddie Mac fell by half a percent. The drop happened over concerns about a potential recession. And since mortgage rates have risen dramatically this year, homebuyers across the country should see this decline as welcome news if they can lock these rates in.
Freddie Mac reports that the average 30-year rate was down to 5.30% from 5.81% two weeks prior (see graph below):
But why is this recent dip such good news for homebuyers? As Nadia Evangelou, Senior Economist and Director of Forecasting at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains:
“According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped sharply by 40 basis points to 5.3 percent. . . . As a result, home buying is about 5 percent more affordable than a week ago. This translates to about $100 less every month on a mortgage payment.”
That’s because when rates go up (as they have for the majority of this year), they impact how much you’ll pay in your monthly mortgage payment, which directly affects how much you can comfortably afford. The inverse is also true. A decrease in mortgage rates means an increase in your purchasing power. If you were lucky enough to refinance or purchase a home with a mortgage in the last two years, you may have seen rates lower than 3% and by comparison, the current rates may seem high. Perspective is everything though - 6% rates are considered pretty low historically. Rates fluctuate all the time, so being able to take advantage of a dip when you are locking in your rate is a great opportunity. Even a small drop can impact the cost of purchasing a home of the life of a loan.
The chart below shows how a half-point, or even a quarter-point, change in mortgage rates can impact your monthly payment:
Bottom Line
Maybe you are thinking you missed the boat - another year and you may be wishing you still took action. I have a great team of professionals behind me - reach out any time to discuss your own situation.
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