These are today's mortgage and refinance rates. Mortgage rates have eased thanks to cooler inflation data, but it's unclear if they'll drop further.

“Mortgage rates ticked up for the fifth consecutive week and crossed 7% for the first time since May of 2024,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “The underlying strength of the economy is contributing to this increase in rates."

On a normal day, it's nearly impossible to predict which way mortgage rates will go. Now, with so much uncertainty in financial markets, mortgage rates could see more spikes and volatility, particularly following the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration.

Some U.S. consumers are optimistic about the housing market in 2025, believing there's a chance mortgage rates and home prices drop. But how likely is that to really happen?

"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. His view aligns with the Mortgage Bankers Association's prediction that rates will stay between 6% and 7% throughout the year.

Mortgage rates topped 7% this week, a key psychological threshold, in a sign of the US housing market’s unrelenting affordability challenges.

The average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages surpassed 7 percent for the first time since May, Freddie Mac reported on Thursday, extending a weekslong climb that could push more buyers and sellers to the sidelines.

After climbing to their most expensive level in more than seven months, 30-year mortgage rates held steady Tuesday. Rate movement was mixed for other loan types.

MSCI's global equities gauge rose on Thursday, while Wall Street indexes closed lower and U.S. Treasury yields fell after a mixed bag of economic data and Federal Reserve official comments suggesting more interest rate cuts on the horizon.

US mortgage rates topped 7% last week, reaching the highest level since early May and extending a months-long advance that risks restraining the housing market.