The two days of 2025 with the lowest rates were September 16th and October 28th. Both days happened to be the Tuesdays that preceded Fed rate cuts. On both occasions, those rate cuts were delivered with other comments from the Fed that the bond market didn't like.  The net effect is/was two very obvious dips and spikes. The second half of December saw the average 30yr fixed mortgage rate inch closer and closer to those previous lows, but we're still not quite there yet. Today was just another day in that saga as the average lender held right in line with Friday's latest levels. Bottom line: at current levels, any day that rates spend holding steady or moving microscopically lower will technically result in the lowest rates since October 28th. It would take a more noticeable improvement to break below that floor. When and if that happens, rates will be the lowest since early 2023. [thirtyyearmortgagerates]

The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo released the monthly Housing Market Index (HMI) this week, showing builder confidence falling to the lowest levels since 2023.  This is about as low as the index has been since the housing crisis more than a decade ago. While persistently high interest rates remain a top concern for the housing market, a growing number of builders cited difficulty pricing new homes in light of the rapidly changing outlook for material costs due to tariffs.  With that in mind, it's important to note that 90% of this month's responses came in  before the US/China trade announcement.  Not only did that announcement drastically reduce tariffs for 90 days, it also offered a proof of concept that will likely see the outlook improve in the next survey due to lower material costs and a more upbeat consumer. Additional details are available at https://www.nahb.org/news-and-economics/housing-economics/indices/housing-market-index.

April 3rd and 4th saw the average top tier 30yr fixed mortgage rates well into the "mid 6's."  Many lenders were able to quote 6.5% at the time.  Just a few days ago, we noted there was still a ways to go before breaking below those early April levels, but the past few days have taken us within striking distance.  The average lender is now only 0.07% higher than they were on April 4th and that's a gap that can be traversed in as little as one day under the right circumstances. If it is destined to be traversed in the near feature, it would likely be due to exceptional weakness in the forthcoming economic data--especially Thursday's big jobs report.  Conversely, if this week's economic data surprises to the upside, it would likely coincide with rates bouncing here and headline back into the recent range. And lastly, if this week's data doesn't cast a decisive vote in either direction, next week's inflation reports could easily break the tie. The most interesting aspect of today's movement was the movement itself.  It didn't happen due to any interesting data or news headlines.  Both stocks and bonds (which dictate rates) improved as traders moved portfolios into position for the end of the month/quarter.  This can cause market movement independent of economic data/news. 

Mortgage rates continue operating in a narrow range with almost every day of the past two months falling between 6.8 and 7.0% for a top tier 30yr fixed scenario. Today's average rate fell 0.03 after moving up 0.06 since June 12th. This morning's most relevant potential influence--the Retail Sales report--turned out to have a limited impact this morning.  To be fair, when rates are as stable as they have been, there's no need to overanalyze their underlying motivations.  For those determined to do it anyway, today's best example may have been general market anxiety surrounding war in the Middle East. We have yet to see any huge market reaction in response to any of the geopolitical headlines, but there was a reaction that played out over the course of several hours that helped the bond market gain some ground. When bonds improve, mortgage lenders are able to offer lower rates.  Tomorrow's Fed announcement adds to the potential volatility in a more serious way.  This has nothing to do with "cut vs no cut" (there is zero chance of a rate cut tomorrow) and everything to do with the other information the Fed presents on announcement days. Of this info, it is the dot plot (a chart in the Fed's economic projection materials that show each Fed members' rate outlook over the next few years) that carries the most weight.  Caveat: POTENTIAL volatility is just that.  Sometimes Fed announcement days end up leaving rates fairly unchanged.  There's no way to now which way things will move ahead of time, only that the risk is higher than normal.

So happy to welcome Stephanie Martin to Living Room Realty. Stephanie’s story is shaped by movement, curiosity, and following the music. From Northern California to LA, New Jersey, and back again, her path includes buying homes, building a life, and eventually landing in Portland. Along the way, li

The National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)—which tracks contract signings on existing homes—has remained rangebound for more than two years, constrained by affordability pressures and elevated mortgage rates. This week’s update showed a modest improvement, but the broader story hasn’t changed. Pending home sales rose by 1.8% in May, marking the first increase since February. The index is now 1.1% higher than a year ago , but still well below pre-2022 norms. Zooming out, contract activity remains stuck in a narrow band. The index hasn’t been above 80 since the summer of 2022 and continues to reflect a sluggish, rate-constrained housing market. “Consistent job gains and rising wages are modestly helping the housing market,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Hourly wages are increasing faster than home prices. However, mortgage rate fluctuations are the primary driver of homebuying decisions and impact housing affordability more than wage gains.” Here’s how the month-over-month change broke down by region: Northeast: +2.1% Midwest: +0.3% South: +1.0% West: +6.0%

It happens, but it's rare. A Fed "dot plot" day has come and gone with mortgage rates almost perfectly unchanged from the previous day. This speaks to the level of indecision not only in the market, but also among Fed members. First off, what's a "dot plot day?"  The dot plot (or simply, "the dots") refers to a chart/table in the Fed's economic projections that shows where each Fed member sees the Fed Funds Rate at the end of the next few years.  These projections only come out on 4 of the 8 Fed days per year and they've grown to be a leading source of volatility for financial markets on those days. Since it was already a foregone conclusion that the Fed would not be cutting rates today, the market was forced to take its Fed-related cues from the dots and from Fed Chair Powell's press conference. The latter was just slightly negative for rates (i.e. it implied some upward pressure), but the dots did no harm.  After the dust settled, the underlying bond market was flat to slightly stronger on the day due to improvement that was in place several hours before the Fed announcement.  Markets are closed tomorrow for the Juneteenth holiday, but will reopen on Friday.

As we reported last week, the announcement that Fannie and Freddie would buy $200bln in mortgage-backed securities led to a precipitous drop in rates last week. For most of Friday, the top tier 30yr fixed rate was at 5.99% for the average lender according to MND's daily mortgage rate index--the lowest in roughly 3 years.  And that single day of ridiculously low rates was enough to visibly juice application activity. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 28.5% jump in applications for the week ending January 9th. One small caveat: the prior week’s data included an adjustment for the New Year’s Day holiday, exaggerating the contrast, but the underlying rebound was nonetheless substantial. The Refinance Index surged 40% from the previous week and was 128% higher than the same week one year ago, marking the strongest weekly pace since October.  Purchase activity also strengthened meaningfully. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index rose 16% week-over-week, while unadjusted purchase applications jumped 51% and remained 13% above last year’s level, signaling continued buyer engagement as rates moved lower. “Mortgage rates dropped lower last week following the announcement of increased MBS purchases by the GSEs. Lower rates, including the 30-year fixed rate declining to 6.18 percent, sparked an increase in refinance applications,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “Compared to a holiday-adjusted week, refinance applications surged 40 percent to the strongest weekly pace since October 2025. The average loan size for refinance applications was also higher, as borrowers with larger loan sizes are typically more sensitive to changes in rates.”

Both the FHFA and Case‑Shiller home price indices were released today. While the data collection time frame is from April, they each suggest a similar shift is underway when adjusting for seasonality. Specifically, if we ignore seasonality, prices rose.  If we don't, they were down 0.4% from March. FHFA House Price Index (seasonally adjusted, MoM) April: −0.4%; March was revised from −0.1% to 0.0% YoY: +3.0% from April 2024 to April 2025 Monthly figures varied regionally: the West South Central and South Atlantic divisions posted the steepest falls (−1.3%), while the Middle Atlantic rose +1.2%. All nine divisions remain positive YoY (ranging from +0.5% to +7.4%). The 0.4% drop is in line with slower spring momentum—not drastic, but a continued cooling from prior gains. The upward revision in March helps to offset April's declines to some extent. Case‑Shiller National Index (unadjusted) YoY: +2.7% in April, down from +3.4% in March MoM (raw): +0.6% MoM (seasonally adjusted): −0.4%

The Trend is Friendly For Now A common financial market quip is that the "trend is your friend."  We like to add the addendum: "until it's not anymore."  All we can know for sure is that bonds have shifted from range-bound to trending lower in yield over the past 3-4 days and today was just another confirmation of that shift.  What we can't know is when the next show of resistance will happen and whether that will merely be a speed bump before additional gains, or a sign to circle the wagons and get sideways again.  Data wasn't necessarily a huge factor in today's improvement although it didn't hurt. Bonds have an underlying vigor for other reasons, as evidenced by a solid 7yr Treasury auction today, despite yields being at the lowest levels in more than a month. Today's video discusses some possible reasons for that.  Econ Data / Events Jobless Claims 236k vs 245k f'cast, 246k prev Continued Claims 1974k vs 1950k f'cast, 1937k prev GDP  -0.5 vs -0.2 f'cast Durable goods 16.4 vs 8.5 f'cast, -6.6 prev Durables ex defense/aircraft  1.7 vs 0.1 f'cast, -1.3 prev Market Movement Recap 08:39 AM Bonds have moved just a hair weaker in response with MBS back to unchanged after being up 2 ticks (.06) and 10yr back to unchanged after being down just over 1bp at 4.283. 09:16 AM Quick reversal back into positive territory.  MBS up 4 ticks (.125) and 10yr down 2.4bps at 4.265 12:32 PM Best levels of the day ahead of 7yr auction.  MBS up 7 ticks (.22) and 10yr down 2.4bps at 4.265 03:21 PM Best levels of the day with MBS up 9 ticks (.28) and 10yr yields down 3.6bps at 4.252

Mid Day Reversal Leaves Bonds Slightly Stronger This morning, we noted the lightness of the selling pressure that took bonds into modestly weaker territory. It turns out it was so light that it was easy for bond buyers to get back on top un the afternoon hours. There was a bit of help from the Fed's much-anticipated announcement of a change to banking rules that will effectively allow banks to hold more Treasuries than before.  This wasn't a big market mover and its impacts would play out in the background over time, but it did seem to help to the tune of a bp or two today. With that, yields hit the 3pm close at their lowest  levels since May 7th, just barely edging out yesterday's marks.  Econ Data / Events New Home Sales 623k vs 690k f'cast, 743k prev Market Movement Recap 09:54 AM Flat overnight and modestly weaker just before the open.  MBS down 3 ticks (.09) and 10yr up 2.9bps at 4.321 12:51 PM Decent rally ahead of 5yr Treasury auction.  10yr up only 1.3bps at 4.305.  MBS down only 1 tick (.03). 01:43 PM No major response to 5yr auction.  10yr yields up 2bps at 4.312.  MBS down 2 ticks (.06). 03:45 PM Best levels of the day with MBS up 2 ticks (.06) and 10yr down nearly 1bp at 4.284

On a week where the mortgage market was most likely to experience volatility due to Friday's jobs report, Thursday afternoon's surprise announcement of $200bln in GSE MBS (mortgage-backed securities) buying stole the show. This was already juicing the underlying MBS market yesterday afternoon, but traders took the surge to the next level this morning. This matters because MBS dictate mortgage rates.  When MBS are rising/improving/surging/etc., it implies lower rates. MBS had improved so much this morning that the average lender released their best rate sheet since Feb 2, 2023--the lowest level since September 2022.   The caveat is that MBS experienced significant volatility throughout the day and that volatility is likely to continue. As of this afternoon, at least one lender has already bumped rates back up a bit.  If more lenders follow suit, the end of day average rate could move up, but it would still likely be the lowest in at least a year.  Bottom line: the market didn't have much of a reaction at all to the jobs report. The MBS market continues sorting out a huge reaction to the GSE purchase news. Rates are definitely quite a bit lower. It remains to be seen how much lower they'll be when the initial volatility settles down--something that will probably require more clarity on the specifics of the MBS buying plan.

Best Closing Levels in More Than a Month Don't look now, but rates just inched their way down to the best levels since the first week of May.  It's probably NOT fair to credit geopolitical developments for the bond market improvement.  While those developments arguably had an impact at times during the day, they were also arguably a zero sum game by the end of the day (due to a rapid de-escalation of armed conflict).  What's left over is the improvement seen earlier in the day due to the shift in Fed Funds Rate expectations after comments from Bowman.  This no doubt increases the market's anticipation for Fed Chair Powell's congressional testimony over the next two days. Econ Data / Events S&P Services PMI 53.1 vs 52.9 f'cast, 53.7 prev Existing Home Sales 4.03m vs 3.96m f'cast, 4.00m prev Market Movement Recap 10:10 AM Modestly stronger overnight with additional gains after Bowman comments on supporting a July rate cut.  MBS up 6 ticks (.19) and 10yr down 6.3bps at 4.315 12:38 PM Slow, steady bond gains over the past 2 hours.  10yr down 8.3bps to 4.296 and MBS up 9 ticks (.28). 02:43 PM Off the strongest levels but still stronger on the day.  MBS up 7 ticks (.22) and 10yr down 5.8bps at 4.321 03:40 PM Technically down an eighth from the highs.  MBS still up 6 ticks (.19) and 10yr still down 4.6bps at 4.333

Mortgage rates were just a hair higher for the average lender on Thursday. The underlying bond market lost some ground following a stronger weekly Jobless Claims report and in sympathy with global bond market weakness overnight.  Because rates are based on bonds, when bonds are weaker, rates move higher. There are many different economic reports that deal with the jobs market, but none more important than the Employment Situation released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics--the one typically referred to simply as "the jobs report."  This month's jobs report will be released at 8:30am ET on Friday morning. Mortgage lenders don't set their rates for the day until the 9am hour at the earliest, and that's plenty of time for the data to send the bond market on a wild ride. If the jobs report is stronger than expected, rates will likely be higher, and vice versa. One final note: any economic report with high volatility potential can also have a limited impact. It all depends on how the data comes in. All we can know ahead of time is that the range of potential movement in rates is higher after reports like this.  

The latest Residential Construction report from the Census Bureau showed a noticeable drop in overall housing starts in May, though single-family activity managed a small gain. Building permits also declined, continuing a trend of slight cooling in new construction momentum. As usual, the market focuses most on building permits and housing starts , with the latter representing the beginning of actual construction activity. Total starts fell nearly 10% to an annual pace of 1.256 million , down from 1.392 million in April. The decline was almost entirely due to a sharp drop in multifamily starts , which fell from 420k to 316k , the lowest level in over a year. In contrast, single-family starts edged up slightly to 924k from 920k . Building permits—a forward-looking indicator—also declined, dropping 2% from 1.422 million to 1.393 million . That included a 2.7% decline in single-family permits and a moderate slowdown in multifamily authorizations.

There's nothing like a Fed announcement day to get almost every media outlet to run headlines that attempt to tie the day's market movement to the Fed's rate decision. The problem in today's case is that there wasn't even anything remotely resembling a decision, nor did anyone expect there to be. Markets were effectively betting on a zero percent chance of a rate cut at this meeting, and that's been the case for several weeks. Fed speakers had also been very clear in their shoulder shrugs during that time, saying that there are two big policy considerations in play right now, each arguing in the opposite direction. Specifically, the Fed has a mandate to "promote maximum employment," which could also be viewed as "promote a strong economy," and a mandate for "price stability," which is fancy talk for the Fed's inflation fighting role.  When Fed speakers have recently referred to those two mandates being in tension, they mean the potential drag on the economy from tariffs and tighter fiscal policy argues in favor of lower rates if it translates to higher unemployment and weaker economic data.  Contrast that to the potential increase in inflation due to tariffs, which argues in favor of higher rates. Simply put, there was nothing the Fed could do today but sit on its hands and wait to see which side of the mandate ended up having more compelling evidence, and nothing for Fed Chair Powell to do but reiterate that fact multiple times when almost every reporter asked a different version of the same question.