Rates on 30-year mortgage fell slightly Tuesday to a 6.91% average, putting an end to a three-day climb that pushed the national average to its high level since July. Back in September, mortgage rates plunged to a 2-year low. But since then, they've surged.

Rate movement for most other mortgage types was also down Tuesday.

Because rates vary widely across lenders, it's always smart to shop around for your best mortgage rate and compare rates regularly, no matter the type of home loan you seek.

Today's New Purchase Mortgage Rate Averages

Rates on 30-year new purchase mortgages dropped 2 basis points Tuesday, after gains the three previous days. That lowers the flagsꦐhip average to a 6.91% average, still close to an early November peak of 6.93% that was the most expensive level since July 3. Rates are currently about a full percentage point higher than the two-year low enjoyed in September—when the 30-year average plunged to 5.89%.

However, rates on 30-year mortgages still remain below July's high 7.08% average. They are also about 1.1 percentage points cheaper than the historic 23-year peak of 8.01% reached last October.

Rates on 15-year mortgages fell 3 basis points Tuesday, reducing the average to 6.10%. That's also just below a four-month high. Like 30-year loans, 15-year rates recorded a two-year low in September, sinking as far as 4.97%. Though today's 15-year rates are elevated, they remain almost a percentage point below last fall's historic 7.08% reading—a high since 2000.

Jumbo 30-year mortgages were meanwhile close to flat Tuesday, shedding a single basis point. That lowers the average to 6.94%—which is slightly below a recent three-month high of 6.99%. Back in September, rates on jumbo 30-year loans had sunk to 6.24%, their lowest average in 19 months. Although daily historical jumbo rates weren't published before 2009, it's estimated that the 8.14% peak we saw last fall was the most expensive jumbo 30-year average in 20-plus years.

The Weekly Freddie Mac Average

Every Thursday, Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored buyer of mortgage loans, publishes a weekly average of 30-year mortgage rates. Last week's reading shaved off a single basis point, leaving the weekly average at 6.78%, while as recently as Sept. 26, the average sank to a two-year low of 6.08%. Last October, Freddie Mac's average moved the other way, surging to a historic 23-year peak of 7.79%.

Freddie Mac’s average differs from what we report for 30-year rates because Freddie Mac calculates a weekly average that blends five previous days of rates. In contrast, our Investopedia 30-year average is a daily reading, offering a more precise and timely indicator of rate movement. In addition, the criteria for included loans (e.g., amount of down payment, credit score, inclusion of discount points) varies between Freddie Mac's methodology and our own.

Calculate monthly payments for different loan scenarios with our 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Mortgage Calculator.

What Causes Mortgage Rates to Rise or Fall?

Mortgage rates are determined by a complex inte✃raction oꦬf macroeconomic and industry factors, such as:

• The level and direction of the bond market, especially 10-year Treasury yields
• The Federal Reserve's current monetary policy, especially as it relates to bond buying and funding government-backed mortgages
• Competition between mortgage lenders and across loan types

Because any number of these can cause fluctuations simultaneously, it's generally difficult to attribute the change to any one factor.

Macroeconomic factors kept the mortgage market relatively low for much of 2021. In particular, the Federal Reserve had been buying billions of dollars of bonds in response to the pandemic's economic pressures. This 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:bond-buying policy is a major influencer of mortgage rates.

But starting in November 2021, the Fed began tapering its bond purchases downward, making sizable reductions each month until reaching net zero in March 2022.

Between that time and July 2023, the Fed aggressively raised the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:federal funds rate to fight decades-high inflation. While the fed funds rate can influence mortgage rates, it doesn't directly do so. In fact, the fed funds rate and mortgage rates 🎀can move in opposite direcꦆtions.

But given the historic speed and magnitude of the Fed's 2022 and 2023 rate increases—raising the benchmark rate 5.25 percentage points over 16 months—even the indirect influence of the fed funds rate has resulted in a dramatic upward impact on mortgage rates over the last two years.

The Fed maintained the federal funds rate at its peak level for almost 14 months, beginning in July 2023. But on Sept. 18, the central bank 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:announced the first rate cut in what's expected to be a series of decreases🔥 in 2024 a𓆏nd likely 2025. This first reduction was by 0.50 percentage points.

On Nov. 7, the Fed 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:announced an additional rate cut oꦑf 0.25 percentage points, bringing the federal funds rate tꦅo 4.5% to 4.75%. With this cut, the fed funds rate reaches its lowest level since March 2023.

The Fed's next rate announcement will be made Dec. 18.

How We Track Mortgage Rates

The national and state averages cited above are provided as is via the Zillow Mortgage API, assuming a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 80% (i.e., a down payment of at least 20%) and an applicant credit score in the 680–739 range. The resulting rates represent what borrowers should expect when receiving quotes from lenders based on their qualifications, which may va🌟ry from advertised teaser rates. © Zillow, Inc., 2024. Use is subject to the Zillow Terms of Use.