{"id":20545,"date":"2026-01-14T23:31:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T05:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/2026\/01\/14\/u-s-mortgage-rates-slide-to-one-of-lowest-levels-since-2022\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T23:31:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T05:31:54","slug":"u-s-mortgage-rates-slide-to-one-of-lowest-levels-since-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/2026\/01\/14\/u-s-mortgage-rates-slide-to-one-of-lowest-levels-since-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. mortgage rates slide to one of lowest levels since 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

US Mortgage Rates Drop to Lowest Levels in Years<\/h1>\n

U.S. mortgage rates slid last week to one of the lowest levels in years, sparking a flurry of purchase and refinancing activity that offers hope for a plodding housing market. This drop in mortgage rates is expected to have a positive impact on the housing market, which has been struggling with poor affordability in recent years.<\/p>\n

Current Mortgage Rates<\/h2>\n

The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 7 basis points to 6.18% in the week ended Jan. 9, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. That\u2019s the lowest reading since September 2024 and one of the lowest since 2022. The rate on a five-year adjustable mortgage plunged nearly a half percentage point to 5.42%, the second-lowest since May 2023.<\/p>\n

Impact on Housing Market<\/h2>\n

Against a backdrop of cheaper home-financing costs, MBA\u2019s purchase index increased nearly 16% last week to the second-highest level since February 2023. The refinancing gauge jumped by more than 40%, the most since September. Large weekly swings in mortgage activity are typical around the turn of the year and near holidays. This increase in mortgage activity is a positive sign for the housing market, which has been struggling to recover from the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Government Efforts to Improve Housing Affordability<\/h2>\n

In hopes of improving housing affordability, President Donald Trump has proposed banning institutional investors from buying single-family homes. He also directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds in an effort to lower home-financing costs. These efforts are aimed at making housing more affordable for individual buyers and reducing the competition from institutional investors.<\/p>\n

MBA Survey<\/h2>\n

The MBA survey, which has been conducted weekly since 1990, uses responses from mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and thrifts. The data cover more than 75% of all retail residential mortgage applications in the US. This survey provides valuable insights into the mortgage market and helps to track changes in mortgage rates and activity.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, the figures illustrate some relief for a housing market that\u2019s been battered by poor affordability in recent years. Government data out Tuesday showed the annualized pace of new-home sales in October was near the strongest since 2023, helped by builder incentives and price cuts.<\/p>\n

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Conclusion<\/h2>\n

In conclusion, the drop in US mortgage rates to one of the lowest levels in years is a positive sign for the housing market. The increase in mortgage activity and the government’s efforts to improve housing affordability are expected to have a positive impact on the market. However, the market still faces challenges, and it remains to be seen how these changes will play out in the coming months.<\/p>\n

Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n

Q: What is the current mortgage rate?<\/h3>\n

A: The current mortgage rate is 6.18% for a 30-year mortgage and 5.42% for a five-year adjustable mortgage.<\/p>\n

Q: How will the drop in mortgage rates affect the housing market?<\/h3>\n

A: The drop in mortgage rates is expected to increase mortgage activity and make housing more affordable for individual buyers.<\/p>\n

Q: What is the government doing to improve housing affordability?<\/h3>\n

A: The government has proposed banning institutional investors from buying single-family homes and has directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds to lower home-financing costs.<\/p>\n

Q: What is the MBA survey?<\/h3>\n

A: The MBA survey is a weekly survey conducted by the Mortgage Bankers Association that uses responses from mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and thrifts to track changes in mortgage rates and activity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

US Mortgage Rates Drop to Lowest Levels in Years U.S. mortgage rates slid last week to one of the lowest levels in years, sparking a flurry of purchase and refinancing activity that offers hope for a plodding housing market. This drop in mortgage rates is expected to have a positive impact on the housing market, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":20546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-20545","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-real-estate"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/6IUIL5OXYNEUJBGJX624IGNBOE.jpg?auth=e83b9aadb22742b97a8f35fc76a28080633aad8d94ee3153deac79f34236786e&quality=80&width=1200&height=630&smart=true","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20545"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20545"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20547,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20545\/revisions\/20547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}