This last week the interest rate on a fixed-rate 30-year mortgage rose a very small amount, so it now sits at 4.86%. Despite being a slight increase when going week-to-week, this is nearly a full point higher than the interest rates on the same mortgages a year ago says Freddie Mac.

These higher interest rates change the entire home buying process, particularly the part where potential purchasers weigh out the real costs of borrowing from lenders. In fact, some real estate markets have begun to see dips in both prices and sales because of rising interest rates. read more

The rates of long-term mortgages in the United States fell once again this week. This follows a trend which has encompassed five of the previous six fiscal weeks. While the drop may not be jaw dropping, it does bring a modicum of relief to those who are currently in the market to purchase a new home.

Although interest rates are dropping, they are still higher than they were at this time in the previous year when they sat at 3.96 percent. Currently, even with the downward trend, rates are sitting at just over four and a half percent. Shorter, 15-year fix rate loans are lower than the previous year – if just barely. Today they sit at 3.99 percent, whereas last year they sat at just over four percent. read more