Today’s Mortgage Rates & Trends, Jan. 24, 2022
Average 30- and 15-year mortgage rates ticked down for a second day, backing off their recent highs.
The average rate offered to homebuyers using a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.90% from 3.91% the previous business day, moving a tad further away from last week’s 3.95%, the highest we’d seen since 2020. The average for a 15-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.03% from 3.04% the previous business day, edging away from the 3.07% seen last week, also a high point since 2020.
Fixed mortgage rates tend to track the direction of 10-year Treasury yields, which usually rise with heightened inflation fears (and fall when those fears subside.) Yields are down a bit since a spiking higher this month amid signals that the Federal Reserve would raise benchmark interest rates to control inflation at a four-decade high.
Even at their recent highs, mortgages were pretty affordable by historical standards. According to a Freddie Mac measure that dates back farther than our data, 15-year and 30-year mortgages average less than a percentage point higher than the record lows reached last year. Three years ago, the average 30-year was almost 5%, and at the start of the 1990s, it was around 10%.
During the pandemic, these relatively low rates have bolstered buying power, allowing house hunters to buy more expensive homes with the same monthly budget and helping to fuel a fiercely competitive residential real estate boom that had only recently begun to show signs of slight cooling. For the same reasons, the uptick in rates over the past few months has discouraged borrowing, in particular refinancing activity.
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Mortgage rates, like the rates on any loan, are going to depend on your credit score, with lower rates going to people with better scores, all else being equal. The rates shown reflect the average offered by more than 200 of the country’s top lenders, assuming the borrower has a FICO credit score of 700-759 (within the “good” or “very good” range) and a loan-to-value ratio of 80%. They also assume the borrower doesn’t purchase any mortgage or “discount” points. Borrowers pay these points, or upfront fees, to obtain a lower interest rate, spending more initially to save in the long run. Whether or not you should pay points depends on how long you plan to keep the loan. Here’s how to calculate that.
30-Year Mortgage Rates Decline or Hold Steady
A 30-year fixed mortgage is by far the most common type of mortgage because it offers a consistent and relatively low monthly payment. (Shorter-term fixed mortgages have higher payments because the borrowed money is paid back more quickly.)
Besides conventional 30-year mortgages, some are backed by the Federal Housing Authority or the Department of Veterans Affairs. FHA loans offer borrowers with lower credit scores or a smaller down payment a better deal than they might otherwise get; VA loans let current or past members of the military and their families skip a down payment.
- 30-year fixed: The average rate fell to 3.9%, down from 3.91% the previous business day. A week ago, it was 3.79%. For every $100,000 borrowed, monthly payments would cost about $471.67, or $6.28 more than a week ago.
- 30-year fixed (FHA): The average rate remained at 3.76%, unchanged from the previous business day. A week ago, it was 3.64%. For every $100,000 borrowed, monthly payments would cost about $463.68, or $6.78 more than a week ago.
- 30-year fixed (VA): The average rate fell to 3.77% from 3.81% the previous business day. A week ago, it was 3.73%. For every $100,000 borrowed, monthly payments will cost about $464.25, or $2.27 more than a week ago.
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A lower rate can lower your monthly payment, but it can also give you more buying power, something you’ll want if you’re considering jumping into this fiercely competitive real estate market. For example, at 3% on a 30-year mortgage, your payments for a $380,000 home would be about $1,900 a month, assuming a 20% down payment, typical homeowners’ insurance costs, and property taxes. If you lock in a rate at 2.9%, though, you’ll have the same monthly payment for a $383,500 home. To do the math specific to your situation, use our mortgage calculator below.
15-Year Mortgage Rate Inches Down
The best advantage of a 15-year fixed mortgage is that it offers a lower interest rate than the 30-year and you’re paying off your loan more quickly, so your total borrowing costs are far lower. But for the same reason—that the loan is paid back over a shorter time frame—the monthly payments will be higher.
- 15-year fixed: The average rate fell to 3.03%, down from 3.04% the previous business day. A week ago, it was 2.91%. For every $100,000 borrowed, monthly payments would cost about $692.03, or $5.77 more than a week ago.
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Besides fixed-rate mortgages, there are adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), where rates change based on a benchmark index tied to Treasury bonds or other interest rates. Most adjustable-rate mortgages are actually hybrids, where the rate is fixed for a period of time and then adjusted periodically. For example, a common type of ARM is a 5/1 loan, which has a fixed rate for five years (the “5” in “5/1”) and is then adjusted every one year (the “1”).
Jumbo Mortgage Rates Fall or Hold Steady
Jumbo loans, which allow you to borrow bigger amounts for more expensive properties, tend to have slightly higher interest rates than loans for more standard amounts. Jumbo means over the limit that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are willing to buy from lenders, and that limit went up in 2022. For a single-family home, it’s now $647,200 (except in Hawaii, Alaska, and a few federally designated high- cost markets, where the limit is $970,800.)
- Jumbo 30-year fixed: The average rate fell to 3.6% from 3.68% the previous business day. A week ago, it was 3.4%. For every $100,000 borrowed, monthly payments would cost about $454.65, or $11.17 more than a week ago.
- Jumbo 15-year fixed: The average rate was 3.4%, the same as the previous business day. A week ago, it was 3.27%. For every $100,000 borrowed, monthly payments would cost about $709.98, or $6.34 more than a week ago.
Refinance Rates Dip Slightly
Refinancing an existing mortgage tends to be slightly more expensive than getting a new one, especially in a low-rate environment.
- 30-year fixed: The average rate to refinance fell to 4.02% from 4.03% the previous business day. A week ago, it was 3.91%. For every $100,000 borrowed, monthly payments would cost about $478.57, or $6.33 more than a week ago.
- 15-year fixed: The average rate to refinance fell to 3.14% from 3.15% the previous business day. A week ago, it was 3.04%. For every $100,000 borrowed, monthly payments at that rate will cost about $697.33, or $4.82 more than a week ago.
Methodology
Our rates for “today” reflect national averages provided by more than 200 of the country’s top lenders one business day ago, and the “previous” is the rate provided the business day before that. Similarly, the week earlier references compare the data from five business days earlier (so bank holidays are excluded.) The rates assume a loan-to-value ratio of 80% and a borrower with a FICO credit score of 700 to 759—within the “good” to “very good” range. They’re representative of the rates customers would see in actual quotes from lenders, based on their qualifications, and may vary from advertised teaser rates.
Have a question, comment, or story to share? You can reach Diccon at dhyatt@thebalance.com.