Daily Mortgage Rates Are Up This Week | February 5 & 6, 2022

Despite briefly dropping early in the week, mortgage rates ended this week higher. The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate loan rose to 4.136%, while the rate for a 15-year fixed loan moved up to 3.125%. Borrowers looking for a 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage are seeing rates averaging 2.789%.

Rates for refinancing loans also ended the week higher with the 30-year refi rate averaging 4.21%. The 15-year and 5/1 ARM refi rates both increased to 3.193% and 2.839% respectively.

• The latest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 4.136%. ⇑
• The latest rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.125%. ⇑
• The latest rate on a 5/1 ARM is 2.789%. ⇑
• The latest rate on a 7/1 ARM is 3.068%. ⇑
• The latest rate on a 10/1 ARM is 3.134%. ⇑

Money’s daily mortgage rates reflect what a borrower with a 20% down payment and a 700 credit score — roughly the national average score — might pay if he or she applied for a home loan right now. Each day’s rates are based on the average rate 8,000 lenders offered to applicants the previous business day. Freddie Mac’s weekly rates will generally be lower, since they measure rates offered to borrowers with higher credit scores.

Looking for a loan? Check out Money’s lists of the best mortgage lenders and best refinance lenders.

Today’s 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates

• The 30-year rate is 4.136%.
• That’s a one-day increase of 0.07 percentage points.
• That’s a one-month increase of 0.329 percentage points.

Most borrowers choose a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage because of the steady interest rate, long payback time and affordable monthly payments. The downside is that the interest rate will be higher compared to the rate on a shorter-term loan, meaning you’ll pay more for this type of loan over time.

Today’s 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rates

• The 15-year rate is 3.125%.
• That’s a one-day increase of 0.06 percentage points.
• That’s a one-month increase of 0.413 percentage points.

The advantage of a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is that it typically has a lower interest rate than a 30-year loan and you will pay it off in half the time. The drawback is that the monthly payments will be higher than a comparable longer-term loan. This could be a good option if you can afford the higher payments.

The latest rates on adjustable-rate mortgages

• The latest rate on a 5/1 ARM is 2.789%. ⇑
• The latest rate on a 7/1 ARM is 3.068%. ⇑
• The latest rate on a 10/1 ARM is 3.134%. ⇑

Adjustable-rate mortgages will actually start with a fixed interest rate. Once that period ends, the rate will become variable and reset periodically. For example, a 5/1 ARM will have a fixed rate for the first five years and then resets every year. The risk with an ARM is that the interest rate could increase substantially once it becomes adjustable. An ARM could be a good option if you are planning on selling the home before the rate becomes variable.

The latest VA, FHA and jumbo loan rates

The average rates for FHA, VA and jumbo loans are:

• The rate on a 30-year FHA mortgage is 3.868%. ⇑
• The rate on a 30-year VA mortgage is 4.141%. ⇑
• The rate on a 30-year jumbo mortgage is 3.852%. ⇑

The latest mortgage refinance rates

The average refinance rates for 30-year loans, 15-year loans and ARMs are:

• The refinance rate on a 30-year fixed-rate refinance is 4.21%. ⇑
• The refinance rate on a 15-year fixed-rate refinance is 3.193%. ⇑
• The refinance rate on a 5/1 ARM is 2.839%. ⇑
• The refinance rate on a 7/1 ARM is 3.112%. ⇑
• The refinance rate on a 10/1 ARM is 3.181%. ⇑

Where are mortgage rates heading this year?

Mortgage rates sank through 2020. Millions of homeowners responded to low mortgage rates by refinancing existing loans and taking out new ones. Many people bought homes they may not have been able to afford if rates were higher. In January 2021, rates briefly dropped to the lowest levels on record, but trended slightly higher through the rest of the year.

Looking ahead, experts believe interest rates will rise more in 2022, but also modestly. Factors that could influence rates include continued economic improvement and more gains in the labor market. The Federal Reserve has also begun tapering its purchase of mortgage-backed securities and said it anticipates raising the federal funds rate three times in 2022 to combat rising inflation beginning as soon as March.

While mortgage rates are likely to rise, experts say the increase won’t happen overnight and it won’t be a dramatic jump. Rates should stay near historically low levels through the first half of the year, rising slightly later in the year. Even with rising rates, it will still be a favorable time to finance a new home or refinance a mortgage.

Factors that influence mortgage rates include:

• The Federal Reserve. The Fed took swift action when the pandemic hit the United States in March of 2020. The Fed announced plans to keep money moving through the economy by dropping the short-term Federal Fund interest rate to between 0% and 0.25%, which is as low as they go. The central bank also pledged to buy mortgage-backed securities and treasuries, propping up the housing finance market but began cutting back those purchases in November.
• The 10-year Treasury note. Mortgage rates move in lockstep with the yields on the government’s 10-year Treasury note. Yields dropped below 1% for the first time in March 2020 and have been rising since then. On average, there is typically a 1.8 point “spread” between Treasury yields and benchmark mortgage rates.
• The broader economy. Unemployment rates and changes in gross domestic product are important indicators of the overall health of the economy. When employment and GDP growth are low, it means the economy is weak, which can push interest rates down. Thanks to the pandemic, unemployment levels reached all-time highs early last year and have not yet recovered. GDP also took a hit, and while it has bounced back somewhat, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Tips for getting the lowest mortgage rate possible

There is no universal mortgage rate that all borrowers receive. Qualifying for the lowest mortgage rates takes a little bit of work and will depend on both personal financial factors and market conditions.

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