News Mortgage News Mortgage Rate Relief Boosts Homebuying Off the Charts: The Visual Says It All By The Balance Editors The Balance Editors We’re a team of writers and editors with decades of experience researching and answering questions about personal finances. We believe everyone should feel confident when making money decisions, and that passion drives us to make The Balance the best place to learn about finances. learn about our editorial policies Published on January 19, 2023 Photo: FG Trade Latin/Getty Images Mortgages are finally getting cheaper: In a welcome development for would-be buyers, last year’s surge in mortgage interest rates is significantly unraveling. The average rate offered for a 30-year fixed mortgage fell again this week, home loan giant Freddie Mac said Thursday. Rates are now nearly a full percentage point lower than they were at the recent peak of 7.08% in November. The chart below shows how mortgage rates are trending down. Just as inflation (and the Federal Reserve’s response to it) was responsible for 2022’s relentlessly climbing mortgage rates, the recent lessening of inflation has caused rates to fall. Borrowers have snapped up loans offered at lower rates: Mortgage applications for both purchases and refinancing jumped 28% last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. Mortgage rates hit record lows during the pandemic, but were rapidly driven upward last year by inflation fears— making homebuying far more expensive than it had been and pricing many buyers out of the market. Have a question, comment, or story to share? You can reach Diccon at dhyatt@thebalance.com. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Freddie Mac. "Mortgage Rates Continue to Decrease."