By ALEX VEIGA
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. edged lower this week, ending a six-week climb.
The rate slipped to 6.78% from 6.79% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. That’s still down from a year ago, when the rate averaged 7.4%.
Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance their home loan to a lower rate, also eased this week. The average rate slipped to 5.99% from 6% last week. A year ago, it averaged 6.76%, Freddie Mac said.
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Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds, which lenders use as a guide to price home loans. Bond yields have been rising in recent weeks following encouraging reports on inflation and the economy.
Last week, bond yields surged on expectations that President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to lower tax rates, increase tariffs and reduce regulation could ultimately lead to higher U.S. government debt and inflation, along with faster economic growth.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury was at 4.41% at midday Thursday. It was at 3.62% as recently as mid-September.
Despite its recent upward move, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage is still down from 7.22% in May, its peak so far this year. In late September, the average rate got as low as 6.08% — its lowest level in two years.
Economists predict that mortgage rates will remain volatile this year, but generally forecast them to hover around 6% in 2025.
Elevated mortgage rates and high prices have helped keep the U.S. housing market in a sales slump going back to 2022.
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