Mortgage Rates Little-Changed Despite Bond Market Gains

By: Matthew Graham •

Mortgage rates were mostly flat to begin the new week, even though underlying bond markets were in stronger territory.  Bonds, more than anything else, dictate the day-to-day direction for mortgage rates.  That said, there are different varieties of bonds as well as different levels of willingness to react on the part of mortgage lenders.  In today's case, the bonds that specifically govern mortgages aren't doing quite as well as the broader bond market.  As of this morning, lenders weren't seeing enough improvement to make any meaningful changes to their rate offerings. 

Mortgage-backed bonds have improved somewhat throughout the day.  At face value, that seems like it should help mortgage rates and indeed it might.  The issue is that there hasn't been quite enough improvement for the average lender to go to the trouble of adjusting rates in the middle of the business day.  As such, we'll need current bond market levels to remain intact through tomorrow morning in order to see the benefit in lender rate sheets.  Whether or not that happens will likely be wholly dependent on tomorrow morning's Retail Sales report--an important piece of economic data that could easily erase all of today's bond market improvement if it's stronger than expected.  Conversely, weaker Retail Sales would coax more investors into the bond market, which could help tomorrow's improvement be even bigger than today's.

 See Rates from Lenders in Your Area


Loan Originator Perspective

Bonds secured small gains Monday, while remaining below last week's best levels.  There's not a lot of economic data due this week, so trading may be muted.  Since there's no trend to lower rates, I am locking August closings for most clients. -Ted Rood, Senior Originator


Today's Most Prevalent Rates

  • 30YR FIXED - 4.00%
  • FHA/VA - 3.625%
  • 15 YEAR FIXED - 3.5-3.625% 
  • 5 YEAR ARMS -  3.375-3.75% depending on the lender


Ongoing Lock/Float Considerations 

  • Early 2019 saw a rapid reevaluation of big-picture trends in rates and in markets in general

  • The Federal Reserve has been a key player, and while they aren't the ones pulling the global economic strings, their response (and even their EXPECTED response) to the economy has helped rates fall more quickly than they otherwise might.

  • Based on the Fed's laundry list of concerns, the bond market (which determines rates) will be watching economic data closely, both at home and abroad, as well as trade-related concerns. The stronger the data and trade relations, the more rates could rise, while weaker data and trade wars will lead to new long-term lows.  
  • Rates discussed refer to the most frequently-quoted, conforming, conventional 30yr fixed rate for top tier borrowers among average to well-priced lenders.  The rates generally assume little-to-no origination or discount except as noted when applicable.  Rates appearing on this page are "effective rates" that take day-to-day changes in upfront costs into consideration.