How Low Will Mortgage Rates Go in 2024? Here's What We Know So Far

There's a reason so many people have been struggling to purchase a home this year. Not only are housing prices elevated as a result of low inventory, but mortgages are expensive to sign.

As of this writing, the average mortgage rate on a 30-year loan is 6.82%, according to Freddie Mac. But rates have fluctuated a bit since the start of the year, and they'll likely continue to do so based on general market conditions.

Meanwhile, most mortgage experts expect rates to cool later in the year. But how low will they go? That's the big question.

Federal Reserve actions could lower borrowing costs for home buyers

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates 11 times between 2022 and 2023 to help slow the pace of inflation. While the Fed's actions don't always completely correlate to movement in mortgage rates, they have the potential to influence them. As such, it's not a big surprise that mortgages are currently expensive to sign.

There's some good news, though. Despite the fact that inflation remains stubbornly elevated at over 3%, which is above the 2% level the Fed is targeting, it's cooled nicely since 2022. As such, the Fed still thinks it can move forward with three interest rate cuts in 2024, the first of which could come within months.

What this means is that mortgage rates could fall quite a bit between now and the end of the year. But it's tough to get a handle on how low they'll go.

Is it conceivable that mortgage rates will drop to about 6%? Yes. Whether they'll go lower is the big question, and that's a hard one to answer right now.

In January, the National Association of Realtors projected that mortgage rates would fall to 6.3% by the fourth quarter of the year. But if rates fall to 6.3% at the start of that quarter, they may be closer to the 6% mark by the end of it.

How to lock in the most competitive mortgage rate you can

It's hard to know exactly how low mortgage rates will go in 2024. So instead of fixating on that, try to focus on steps you can take to set yourself up for a more attractive mortgage rate.

For one thing, try boosting your credit score. You can do so by paying bills on time and shedding some credit card debt. Checking your credit report for errors is also a great idea.

Also, try to work on reducing your debt-to-income ratio. That measures the percentage of your income that's allocated toward existing debt payments. Paying off some credit card debt could help in this regard, too.

Finally, be prepared to shop around. You never know when one lender might have a better rate to offer you than another.

It's fair to assume that mortgages will be less expensive to sign by the time 2024 gets close to wrapping up. But how much less expensive is a question that remains tough to answer.