Mounted mortgage charges fell for the second week in a row as markets wager on a September charge reduce.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.66% within the week ending Aug. 14, down 4 foundation factors from the earlier week. The common 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell seven foundation factors to five.72%. A foundation level is one one-hundredth of a proportion level.

July’s Client Value Index (CPI) rose 2.7% on an annual foundation, barely under the forecast amongst economists of two.8%. Whereas rising inflation ought to theoretically make the Federal Reserve much less more likely to reduce charges in September, market analysts are buoyed by inflation accelerating slower than beforehand feared. Fed watchers are presently voicing nearly unanimous consensus that central bankers will decrease charges by 25 foundation factors subsequent month.

Whereas the Federal Reserve doesn’t set mortgage charges, it does affect them by setting the rate of interest that banks pay to borrow from each other. If that charge will get decreased, it makes it inexpensive for lenders to generate mortgages, and so they can go these financial savings onto clients within the type of decrease mortgage charges.

Regardless of pressures to chop charges instantly, the Fed has resisted as a result of decrease rates of interest can contribute to inflation. If inflation isn’t rising as quick as beforehand thought, then this danger is offset considerably, giving central bankers extra license to decrease charges.

Mortgage buyers ought to keep in mind that lenders anticipate what the Fed will do forward of time and bake these expectations into charge presents. That signifies that if market sentiment continues in favor of an upcoming charge reduce, we’ll see mortgage charges ease earlier than the September 17 assembly announcement, not after.

Shelter prices rose 0.2% in July, rising strain on renters. Core CPI — which removes meals and vitality prices — additionally jumped 0.3% month-over-month and three.1% year-over-year, signalling the quickest value acceleration in 5 months. This means that buyers have been feeling the consequences of tariffs in July, with costs set to probably enhance extra this month following final week’s far-reaching tariff hikes.

All of this places monetary pressure on house buyers, significantly these seeking to change into first-time patrons. These of us face the compounding struggles of upper rents, rising buying payments and no fairness to place in the direction of a house buy.

New knowledge from the Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors (NAR) launched earlier this week confirmed that 75% of metro markets noticed rising house costs within the second quarter of 2025. The nationwide median value for a single-family present house reached a record-high $429,400, and median costs in each the Northeast and West areas are nicely over half one million {dollars}.

This may increasingly sound alarming to house buyers. However the knowledge is definitely trending in a extra pleasant course for patrons: value will increase are much less widespread than within the first quarter of this yr, which noticed 83% of metro areas experiencing value progress. Moreover, greater than twice as many metro areas noticed double-digit value progress in Q1 in comparison with Q2.

In accordance with NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun, debtors within the South and West are the more than likely to profit from a September charge reduce. “If rates of interest decline, the strongest launch of pent-up housing demand is more likely to happen in states with vital job progress lately, reminiscent of Idaho, Utah, the Carolinas, Florida, and Texas.”

If modestly lower mortgage rates will allow you to buy or refinance next month, there are things you can do now to prepare. Get your financial profile in shape, and apply for preapproval with lenders before you start shopping. This will help you get the best interest rate, and can make you stand out as a serious buyer if competition rises as rates fall.