Home buyers have had to accept that mortgage rates probably won’t drop back down to record lows anytime soon.
The average 30-year fixed rate was 5.3% as of Thursday, according to the government-backed mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. That’s up from 2.8% a year ago.
Because of higher mortgage rates and still-rising home prices, fewer aspiring buyers can afford to purchase homes. “We are seeing people become a little desperate,” said Jacob Channel, senior economist at the online lending marketplace LendingTree.
