Are interest rates expected to go down in 2024?
Fannie Mae, the Mortgage Bankers Association and National Association of Realtors predict that mortgage rates will gradually descend in 2024, to around 6% in the final three months of the year.
The expected decreasing inflationary pressure, plus the added impact of a falling federal funds rate in 2024, is likely to push mortgage rates lower. But while the Fed raised its benchmark rate fast in 2022–2023, it's expected to bring rates down at a much more gradual pace in 2024 and beyond.
Financial markets are currently predicting the first cut in interest rates will be in June 2024, falling to around 3% by the end of 2025, according to the latest forecasts from Capital Economics. As a general rule: if interest rates fall, the mortgage rate forecast would be for mortgage rates to fall too.
Projected Interest Rates in the Next Five Years
ING's interest rate predictions indicate 2024 rates starting at 4%, with subsequent cuts to 3.75% in the second quarter. Then, 3.5% in the third, and 3.25% in the final quarter of 2024. In 2025, ING predicts a further decline to 3%.
The median estimate for the fed-funds rate target range at the end of 2025 moved to 3.75% to 4%, from 3.5% to 3.75% in December. For the end of 2026, the median dot now shows a target range of 3% to 3.25%, versus 2.75% to 3% three months ago.
Analysts with Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) both project that rates will fall going into 2024 and throughout next year. Fannie Mae economists expect rates to drop more quickly, falling below 6% by Q4 2024. Meanwhile, the MBA's forecast for Q4 2024 is 6.1% and 5.9% for Q1 2025.
In summary, it is unlikely that mortgage rates in the US will ever reach 3% again, at least not in the foreseeable future. This is due to a combination of factors, including: Higher Inflation: Inflation is currently at a 40-year high in the US, and the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates to combat it.
1) Interest-rate forecast.
We project the federal-funds rate target range to fall from 5.25% to 5.50% currently to 4.00% to 4.25% by the end of 2024, to 2.25% to 2.50% by the end of 2025, and to 1.75% to 2.00% by first-half 2026, after which the Fed will be done cutting.
Fannie Mae, the Mortgage Bankers Association and National Association of Realtors predict that mortgage rates will gradually descend in 2024, to around 6% in the final three months of the year.
Loan Term | Rate | Rate Yesterday |
---|---|---|
30-Year Fixed Refinance Rate | 7.37% | 7.38% |
20-Year Fixed Refinance Rate | 7.20% | 7.25% |
15-Year Fixed Refinance Rate | 6.54% | 6.59% |
30-Year Jumbo Refinance Rate | 7.38% | 7.31% |
Will interest rates go down in 2026?
While rates have risen 13 times since May 2022, the drop won't be so far nor so fast. Even by the end of 2026 rates will probably only be around 1% lower than now. And this may be as low as interest rates go. The interest rates we saw during the COVID recession were arguably the lowest in human history.
Driving the news: The median Fed official now expects interest rates to be somewhat higher in 2025 and 2026 than they did in December — anticipating fewer rate cuts will be justified in the coming two years. The median projection for the longer-run rate also ticked up, to 2.6% from 2.5%.
Based on recent data, Trading Economics predicts a rise to 5% in 2023 before falling back down to 4.25% in 2024 and 3.25% in 2025.
According to their latest forecast for 30-year mortgage rates in October 2023, they expect them to range from 7.40% to 7.86%, with an average of 7.63%. They also predict that mortgage rates will peak at 9.41% in May 2024, before gradually declining to 3.67% by November 2027.
Buying a home while interest rates are high
There's likely to be less buyer competition for the home you want, plus the potential that higher rates will provide downward pressure on sales prices. And you can always refinance when rates come down again, provided that your income and credit score remain strong.
In today's market, a good mortgage interest rate can fall in the high-6% range, depending on several factors, such as the type of mortgage, loan term, and individual financial circ*mstances. To understand what a favorable mortgage rate looks like for you, get quotes from a few different lenders and compare them.
What is the current Fed interest rate? Right now, the Fed interest rate is 5.25% to 5.50%. The FOMC established that rate in late July 2023. At its most recent meeting in March, the committee decided to leave the rate unchanged.
What experts are saying. “The Fed doesn't directly set mortgage rates, but they do have an influence on them. Because of this, cuts in the Fed's target interest rate will probably mean lower mortgage rates… If all goes well, by the time 2025 comes around, we could see mortgage rates closer to 6%, or maybe even lower.
Source | Projected 30-year mortgage rate (by end of 2024) |
---|---|
Mortgage Bankers Association | 6.1% |
Fannie Mae | 5.8% |
Realtor.com | 6.5% |
Redfin | 6.6% |
If you feel like you've received the best rate possible and fear a rate increase, lock it in now. But if you're willing to gamble that the rate will drop in the coming days or weeks, lenders could let you wait and provide a lock-in at a later date.
How many times can you refinance your home?
Legally speaking, there's no limit to how many times you can refinance your mortgage, so you can refinance as often as it makes financial sense for you. Depending on your lender and the type of loan, though, you might encounter a waiting period — also called a seasoning requirement.
Each lender will offer somewhat different rates on the same type of loan. Even a couple of percentage points can make a big difference in how high your money payment will be, so be sure to ask around. Negotiate mortgage rate and fees with desired lender.
The Fed has repeatedly raised rates in an effort to corral rampant inflation that has reached 40-year highs. Higher interest rates may help curb soaring prices, but they also increase the cost of borrowing for mortgages, personal loans and credit cards.
On December 13, 2023, the US Federal Reserve released the updated Fed dot plot, which showed a projected 2.5-point interest rate cut by year-end 2026. This would reduce the fed funds target rate range from 5.25%-5.50% today to 2.75%-3.00%.
When Will Mortgage Rates Go Down? Mortgage rates are expected to decline when Federal Reserve policymakers cut the benchmark interest rate, which is likely to happen in the second half of 2024. But as long as inflation runs hotter than the Fed would like, rates will remain elevated at their current levels.
References
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