Make a higher down payment
Making a higher down payment can help lower your mortgage interest rates in several ways. "A bigger down payment reduces the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, making you a less risky borrower in the eyes of lenders," says Parangi.
The answer is yes — you can negotiate better mortgage rates and other fees with banks and mortgage lenders, if you're willing to haggle and know what fees to focus on. Many homebuyers start their house hunt focused on negotiating their home price, but don't spend as much time on their mortgage negotiation strategy.
The short answer is: It's highly unlikely we'll see mortgage rates drop back to 3% anytime soon. However, recent inflation numbers point to cooling of the pace of inflation.
Negotiate with your lender: Sometimes, simply asking your lender for a lower rate or highlighting competing offers can lead to a reduced interest rate. Opt for shorter loan tenure: Shorter loan durations often come with lower interest rates. However, ensure the EMIs fit within your budget.
Fannie Mae: Fannie Mae's latest forecast predicts that 30-year mortgage rates will drop to 6.20% by the end of the year. Its forecast for 2026 has rates falling to 6.10%. Freddie Mac: In their December outlook, Freddie Mac researchers said they believe mortgage rates will go down "very gradually" in 2025.
Why mortgage rates won't drop to 2% again. Again, when mortgage rates hit record lows early in the pandemic, the federal funds rate was near zero. Barring another major economic shock, the Fed projects that the federal funds rate will only take modest adjustments downward over the next several years.
The lowest average mortgage rates on record came about when the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate in 2020 and 2021 in response to the pandemic. As a result, the weekly average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 2.65%, while the average 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage sunk to 2.10%.
"While I'd love to say rates will drop below 6% in 2025, I think it's a moderate probability and not a certainty," says Steven Parangi, a licensed mortgage loan originator and owner of Alpine Mortgage Services.
Asking your lender to reduce your home loan's interest rate can be as simple as giving them a call. A home loan lender typically offers more competitive rates to new customers to attract them, so researching these rates online can be beneficial.
If you're in a better financial situation than you were when you first signed your loan, you could potentially negotiate your fixed-rate mortgage to a lower interest rate.
You may be able to lower the rate of your current loans or your credit cards, especially if your credit score has improved or if overall interest rates have gone down since you initially applied for the loan. Make sure to consider any fees that might be associated with refinancing.
Google search results for the term "assumable mortgage" spiked in May, following a steady upward trend starting in 2022. Mortgage assumptions allow buyers to take over an existing mortgage at its current rate, possibly securing mortgage rates as low as 2% or 3% depending on when the original mortgage was taken out.
Factors affecting mortgage rates
Lenders typically offer better rates to borrowers with higher credit scores, lower debt-to-income ratios, and larger down payments. Focus on improving these factors before applying to strengthen your bargaining power.
Today's rates seem high compared with the recent 2% rates of the pandemic era. But experts say getting below 3% on a 30-year fixed mortgage is unlikely without a severe economic downturn.
2021: The lowest 30-year mortgage rates ever
And it kept falling to a new record low of just 2.65% in January 2021. The average mortgage rate for that year was 2.96%. That year marked an incredibly appealing homeownership opportunity for first-time homebuyers to enter the housing market.
Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's second term, however, the outlook is far less certain. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate is now expected to stay elevated between 6% and 6.5% for the next two years. Just two months ago, economists thought it would fall to the 5% range by the second half of 2025.
Mortgage rates have tended to fall in response to recent recessions.
You can get at most two mortgages at the same time for your home in most cases. Depending on the lender you work with, the interest rates and requirements may vary. Also, instead of a second mortgage, you can go for a home refinancing to access more loans without taking on more mortgages on your property.
As it stands right now, the general consensus is for mortgage rates to be in the 5-6% range for 2024.
There is technically no limit to how many times you can refinance your home. If you meet the lender's qualifications and it makes financial sense for your situation, you can refinance as often as you wish. However, just because you have the option to refinance multiple times doesn't mean it's always a wise choice.
Your payments might go down if the base rate is reduced and go up if the rate increases. If you have a fixed-rate mortgage, your payments won't change until your fixed-rate period ends and you move to your lender's standard variable rate.