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Daily mortgage rates for Sept. 19, 2024: Average 30-year, 15-year rates dip after Fed's half-point rate cut

Kelly Suzan Waggoner
Updated
Daily mortgage rates for Thursday, September 19, 2024 (LeManna via Getty Images)

Average mortgage rates are trending down as of Thursday, September 19, 2024, a day after the Federal Reserve announced it was lowering its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to a range of 4.75% to 5.00% — the Fed's first rate cut since March 2020. Average 30-year fixed rates dipped closer to 6.00%, while 15-year fixed rates dropped under 5.50%, continuing weekslong declines that are good news for prospective homebuyers waiting for lower borrowing costs before rushing into the housing market.

The current average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is 6.17% for purchase and 6.18% for refinance — falling 10 basis points from 6.27% for purchase and 12 basis points from 6.30% for refinance last Thursday. Rates on a 15-year mortgage stand at an average 5.42% for purchase and 5.47% for refinance, down 11 basis points from 5.53% for purchase and 13 basis points from 5.60% for refinance this time last week. The average rate on a 30-year fixed jumbo mortgage is 6.29%.

🔍 Must read: This week's Fed rate cut: 5 ways lower rates will affect your wallet

Purchase rates for Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024

  • 30-year fixed rate — 6.17%

  • 20-year fixed rate — 5.96%

  • 15-year fixed rate — 5.42%

  • 10-year fixed rate — 5.45%

  • 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage — 5.70%

  • 30-year fixed FHA rate — 6.55%

  • 30-year fixed VA rate — 6.66%

  • 30-year fixed jumbo rate — 6.29%

Refinance rates for Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024

  • 30-year fixed rate — 6.18%

  • 20-year fixed rate — 6.05%

  • 15-year fixed rate — 5.47%

  • 10-year fixed rate — 5.50%

  • 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage — 5.60%

  • 30-year fixed FHA rate — 6.58%

  • 30-year fixed VA rate — 7.23%

  • 30-year fixed jumbo rate — 6.26%

Source: Bankrate lender survey

Freddie Mac weekly mortgage report: Mortgage rates drop to lowest level since February 2023

Freddie Mac reports an average 6.20% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, down 15 basis points from last week's average 6.35%, according to its weekly Prime Mortgage Market Survey of nationwide lenders published on September 12, 2024. The fixed rate for a 15-year mortgage is 5.27%, down 20 basis points from last week's average 5.47%. These figures are lower than a year ago, when rates averaged 7.18% for a 30-year term and 6.51% for a 15-year term.

"Mortgage rates have fallen more than half a percent over the last six weeks and are at their lowest level since February 2023,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, of the latest data. “Rates continue to soften due to incoming economic data that is more sedate. But despite the improving mortgage rate environment, prospective buyers remain on the sidelines, as they negotiate a combination of high house prices and persistent supply shortages."

Freddie Mac updates its Prime Mortgage Market Survey data weekly on Thursdays at noon ET.

Mortgage rates are determined by many factors that include inflation rates, economic conditions, housing market trends and the Federal Reserve's target interest rate. Lenders also consider your personal credit score, the amount available for your down payment, the property you're interested in and other terms of the loan you're requesting, like 30-year or 15-year offers.

Because mortgage rates can fluctuate daily, it's best to lock in a rate when you're comfortable with the overall conditions of your mortgage or home loan.

Dig deeper: How much does a 1% change in mortgage rates actually matter?

Mortgage lenders keep a close eye on the benchmark federal funds target interest rate set by the Federal Reserve, the U.S.'s central bank. Called the Fed rate, it's the benchmark that affects rates on deposit accounts, loans and other financial products. Typically, as the fed rate rises, so do APYs on savings products like CDs, high-yield savings accounts, money market accounts and home equity loans. Mortgage rates don't follow the Fed rate as closely, but they do reflect the same elements the Fed evaluates when making decisions on the benchmark — especially inflation — which means as the Fed rate increases, mortgage rates also tend to rise.

After increasing the target interest rate 11 times from March 2022 to July 2023 in an effort to combat the highest inflation in four decades coming out of the pandemic, the Federal Reserve announced a highly anticipated half-point cut to its federal funds target interest rate after its September 2024 policy meeting.

At the conclusion of its sixth rate-setting policy meeting of 2024 on September 18, 2024, the Federal Reserve announced it was lowering the federal funds target interest rate by 50 basis points to a range of 4.75% to 5.00% — the first cut since the Fed began raising rates in March 2022 — from a 23-year high of 5.25% to 5.50%.

A half-point cut isn’t typical of the Fed’s decisions, which historically call for measured quarter-point reductions, but points to an urgency in keeping the economy healthy, easing a slowdown in the labor market and averting a recession.

In its post-meeting statement, the Federal Reserve said it was lowering the target range "in light of the progress on inflation and the balance of risks," acknowledging it's "gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent, and judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance."

Economists estimate at least two additional rate cuts this year with an additional four cuts anticipated in 2025.

It's too early to predict what the Federal Reserve will decide at its next policy meeting on November 6 and November 7, 2024, though many experts expect the Fed will announce additional cuts to the federal funds rate in the year to come.

Economists are keeping a close eye on inflation and labor reports amid speculation as to timing of future cuts to the Fed rate. Signs of cooling inflation paved the way for September’s first rate cut, with economic data indicating a continued decline from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to rates that have ranged from 2.5% and 4% since May 2023.

An eagerly awaited jobs report released September 6 showed softer job growth in August but also a rise in hiring, putting the unemployment rate at 4.2%, down from 4.3% in July. An August 21 revision to employment data indicated the labor market may have been cooling before initially thought, with 818,000 fewer jobs created from April 2023 through March 2024, stoking recession fears. The latest data allays those concerns.

Continued good news for the economy came from the one-two punch of twin inflation reports in mid-September. The consumer price index released on September 11 showed consumer prices rose 2.5% year over year in August, down from 2.9% in July — the lowest index reading since March 2021. The producer price index released on September 12 reported a modest 0.2% increase in wholesale prices — or the prices manufacturers pay to producers of goods and services — in August from July, in line with expectations.

At a post-meeting press conference on September 18, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said, “The U.S. economy is in good shape. It is growing at a solid pace. Inflation is coming down,” but also warning not to take the half-point cut as "the new pace," adding, “I think we’re going to go carefully meeting by meeting, and make our decisions as we go."

The Powell-led rate-setting panel will announce a rate decision at the conclusion of its meeting on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET.

Dig deeper: When’s the next Federal Reserve meeting? What to expect — and how it affects your finances

On April 23, a judge granted preliminary approval to a $418 million antitrust settlement with the National Association of Realtors that ends customary real estate broker commissions of up to 6% of a home’s purchase price. Effective August 17, real estate agents are required to provide interested buyers with a representation agreement before touring a home. This agreement is a new step designed to introduce transparency into the buyer's relationship with the agent, the agent's fees and how those fees are paid. The settlement isn’t expected to affect mortgage rates, yet it paves the way for consumers to negotiate what they pay for an agent’s services, saving them money in the long run.

The difference of even half a percentage point on your interest rate can save you hundreds of dollars a month and thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage, but the mortgage rate you're ultimately offered depends on the mortgage you're interested in, payments you're willing to pay up front and your overall financial health.

  • Your credit score. Knowing your credit score can help you shop around for lenders you're likely to get approval through, as well as understand the type of mortgage for your lifestyle and income. The best mortgage rates go to borrowers with good to excellent credit — typically a FICO credit score of at least 670 — though even with fair credit, you may be able to find a mortgage offering decent rates.

  • Your down payment. The more money you can put down toward your home, the better it benefits your interest rate. Paying at least 20% of your home's purchase price up front generally results in a lower interest rate — and you can avoid mortgage insurance, which increases your total cost.

  • Your loan term. While the 30-year mortgage remains a popular way for Americans to purchase homes, you can find terms of 20 years, 15 years and 10 years. Shorter loan terms usually come with lower interest rates, though with higher monthly payments. Longer mortgage terms can result in smaller monthly payments, though you'll pay higher total interest over the life of your loan.

  • Interest rate type. Mortgage rates come with two basic types of rates — fixed and variable. Fixed-rate mortgages offer a consistent interest rate over the life of your loan, whereas adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) often start with a lower fixed rate for an agreed-on time and then adjust to a variable rate based on market conditions for the remainder of your term. Choosing between these two rates depends on your financial goals and tolerance for risk.

Dig deeper

Lenders are financial institutions that loan money to homebuyers. A lender is different from a loan servicer, which typically handles the operational tasks of your loan, like processing payments, talking directly with borrowers and sending monthly statements.

Refinancing is a process of trading in your current mortgage to another lender for lower rates and better terms than your current loan. With a refinance, the new lender pays off your old mortgage and you then pay your monthly statements from the new lender.

An adjustable-rate mortgage — commonly called an ARM — is a type of home loan with a variable rate. Unlike a fixed-rate mortgage, which locks in an interest rate and predictable payments that apply over the full loan term, an ARM starts at an initial fixed rate for a period of three years or longer, after which it adjusts to a higher rate and then further adjusts periodically over the remaining life of the loan.

For a 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage, the first number indicates the number of years at the fixed rate — or five years — and the second number indicates the rate at which the mortgage rate readjusts after — in this case, each year or annually.

Mortgage rates are influenced by complicated factors like inflation, employment rates, the bond market and the overall economy. While the Federal Reserve doesn't set mortgage rates, this central bank of the U.S. sets benchmark rates that indirectly affect rates on financial products like mortgages, personal loans and deposit accounts.

It's not likely — lenders consider the market conditions and other financial factors when determining rates. You can, however, ask about how you can reduce costs in other ways when comparing mortgage lenders. For instance, many lenders offer lower rates in exchange for "mortgage points" — upfront fees you pay to your lender. A mortgage point could cost 1% of your mortgage amount, which means about $5,000 on a $500,000 home loan, with each point lowering your interest rate by about 0.25%, depending on your lender and loan.

Yes. If it’s cash you’re after to pay for home renovations, pay off high-interest credit card debt or cover an emergency, tapping into your home’s value is a way to unlock lower rates without refinancing — and without losing your low-rate mortgage. You typically need good to excellent credit and to have built enough equity in your home. Learn how to get equity out of your home as rates come down.

Editor's note: Rates shown are as of Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 6:30 a.m. ET. APYs and promotional rates for some products can vary by region and are subject to change.

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