Average US long-term mortgage rate eases to 6.36% in first drop after two straight weekly increases

Home loan rates remain below where they were this time last year, they have been mostly trending higher since the war with Iran began as surging prices heightened inflation worries.

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate edged lower this week, its first drop after rising the previous two weeks.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.36% from 6.37% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.81%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also eased this week. That average rate fell to 5.71% from 5.72% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.92%, Freddie Mac said.

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Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.

As recently as late February, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage had slipped just under 6% for the first time since late 2022. It’s hasn’t fallen below that threshold since.

While mortgage rates remain below where they were this time last year, they have been mostly trending higher since the war with Iran began. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has roiled energy markets, sending crude oil prices sharply higher — a key driver of inflation.

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Expectations of higher oil prices have pushed up the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note, which which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

The 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.44% in midday trading Thursday on the bond market. The yield was at just 3.97% in late February, before the war broke out.

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