Mortgage Rates Today, Friday, November 21: Noticeably Lower

If you’ve been waiting for lower mortgage rates after last week’s rise, today just might be your day.

The average interest rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 6.04% APR, according to rates provided to NerdWallet by Zillow. This is 24 basis points lower than yesterday and 15 basis points lower than a week ago. (See our chart below for more specifics.) A basis point is one one-hundredth of a percentage point.

A significant drop is eye-catching, but bear in mind that you should consider mortgage interest rates’ overall direction, not just what’s going on today. That said, if you’re liking what you see, it might be time to get serious about your home search or start checking that refi math.

While the economy never sleeps, markets are closed on the weekends. The rates you see Friday are unlikely to change much (if at all) until Monday.

If you’ve been following mortgage rates this week, you might feel like you’ve been at a sketchy local amusement park. Mortgage rates have reared up and down at a stomach-dropping pace, as analysts are like fortune tellers desperate to tease out the future from cards and crystal balls.

Since we went weeks without any federal economic data, every new piece of information has taken on increased significance as economists try to predict what the Federal Reserve will do at its next meeting on Dec. 9-10.

When jobs data released on Nov. 20 showed a mixed labor market, analysts were of the opinion that central bankers would vote to hold borrowing rates steady.

This changed on Friday morning, when New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said that he still sees “room for a further adjustment in the near term to the target range for the federal funds rate” in remarks delivered at the Central Bank of Chile Centennial Conference. These comments sent rates down, as investors reversed expectations that another cut could be coming in December after all.

Next week, while many of us Nerds will have turkey on our minds, there are still a few things to watch. On Tues. Nov. 25, the National Association of Realtors will release October’s Pending Home Sales report. The Department of Labor will also release weekly initial jobless claims on Wednesday, a day early because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Refinancing might make sense if today’s rates are at least 0.5 to 0.75 of a percentage point lower than your current rate (and if you plan to stay in your home long enough to break even on closing costs).

With rates where they are right now, you may want to start considering a refi if your current rate is around 6.54% or higher.

Also consider your goals: Are you trying to lower your monthly payment, shorten your loan term or turn home equity into cash? For example, you might be more comfortable with paying a higher rate for a cash-out refinance than you would for a rate-and-term refinance, so long as the overall costs are lower than if you kept your original mortgage and added a HELOC or home equity loan.

If you’re looking for a lower rate, use NerdWallet’s refinance calculator to estimate savings and understand how long it would take to break even on the costs of refinancing.

There is no universal “right” time to start shopping — what matters is whether you can comfortably afford a mortgage now at today’s rates.

If the answer is yes, don’t get too hung up on whether you could be missing out on lower rates later; you can refinance down the road. Focus on getting preapproved, comparing lender offers, and understanding what monthly payment works for your budget.

NerdWallet’s affordability calculator can help you estimate your potential monthly payment. If a new home isn’t in the cards right now, there are still things you can do to strengthen your buyer profile. Take this time to pay down existing debts and build your down payment savings. Not only will this free up more cash flow for a future mortgage payment, it can also get you a better interest rate when you’re ready to buy.

If you already have a quote you’re happy with, you should consider locking your mortgage rate, especially if your lender offers a float-down option. A float-down lets you take advantage of a better rate if the market drops during your lock period.

Rate locks protect you from increases while your loan is processed, and with the market forever bouncing around, that peace of mind can be worth it.

The rate you see advertised is a sample rate — usually for a borrower with perfect credit, making a big down payment, and paying for mortgage points. That won’t match every buyer’s circumstances.

In addition to market factors outside of your control, your customized quote depends on your:

• Credit score

• Debt-to-income ratio

• Employment history

• Down payment

• Type of mortgage

• Location and property type

• Loan amount

Even two people with similar credit scores might get different rates, depending on their overall financial profiles.

Maybe — but even personalized rate quotes can change until you lock. That’s because lenders adjust pricing multiple times a day in response to market changes.