In the first week of January, mortgage rates averaged around 6.62%, already elevated compared to historical norms. By late March, they had surged to 6.94%, and by the first week of May, they had reached their peak for the year at 7.22% — up by about 0.6% from the start of 2024.

Mortgage rates fell to the lowest level in two years a day after the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.09% as of Sept. 19, according to data released by Freddie Mac on Thursday.

Today’s interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 5.125%, which is unchanged from yesterday. The monthly payment for a $250,000 mortgage with a 15-year term and a fixed interest rate of 5.5% would be $2,042.71. The payment for the same loan with a 6% interest rate would be $2,109.64.