Rates are likely to stay rangebound this week, say the majority of rate watchers polled by Bankrate.
Of those polled, 67 percent of respondents predict rates will stay where they are, and the remaining 33 percent say rates will drop. No one predicts rates will rise.
The average 30-year fixed rate was 6.77 percent as of March 12, according to Bankrate’s national survey of large lenders, up from 6.72 the previous week.
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Rate Trend Index
Experts predict where mortgage rates are headed
Week of March 13 - 19, 2025
| Go up | 0% |
|---|---|
| Stay the same | 67% |
| Go down | 33% |
Tariffs argue for slower growth and higher prices, i.e., stagflation. That makes any forecast uncertain.
—Joel Naroff, Naroff Economic Advisors
0% say rates will go up
33% say rates will go down
Heather Devoto
Vice President, Branch Manager, First Home Mortgage , McLean , VA
I’m looking for rates to decline in the week ahead as volatility begins to subside and clarity emerges regarding the Trump administration’s trade policies.
Ken Johnson
Walker Family Chair of Real Estate, University of Mississippi
Good news, in general, from the CPI read should lead to lower yields on 10-year Treasurys. Lower Treasury yields, in turn, should lead to lower long-term mortgage rates. Thus, we should see lower 30-year mortgage rates next week.
Greg McBride, CFA
Chief Financial Analyst, Bankrate , North Palm Beach , FL
Until there is greater clarity on the health of the economy and trajectory on inflation, expect plenty of volatility with mortgage rates bouncing up, down and all around.
Denise McManus
Global Real Estate Advisor, Engel & Voelkers & Senior Lender, Xpert Home Lending, Engel & Voelkers
With the uncertainty in the economy surrounding tariffs, labor stats and other global news, the financial markets are a bit messy. Expect the rates to trend downward, however, just slight drops as we try to manage through the rebalancing of our country.
67% say unchanged–
Melissa Cohn
Regional Vice President, William Raveis Mortgage
Mortgage rates are going to stay rangebound this week as the markets digest February inflation data and weigh the impact of future inflation created by the tariffs that have been imposed on foreign imports.
Dr. Anthony O. Kellum
President & CEO, Kellum Mortgage , Roseville , MI
Mortgage rates are likely to remain unchanged in the near term, barring any unexpected economic shocks. While inflation has shown signs of easing and the Federal Reserve has signaled potential rate cuts later this year, the timing and pace of those cuts remain uncertain. The Fed will likely wait for more consistent data confirming inflation is under control before making a move.
Dick Lepre
Senior Loan Officer, Realfinity , Alamo , CA
Trend: Flat. With inflation (CPI) tame, rates should stay flat at about 6.75 percent in the near term. If tariffs actually happen, there will be upward pressure on prices and interest rates.
Joel Naroff
President and Chief Economist, Naroff Economic Advisors , Holland , PA
Flat. Tariffs argue for slower growth and higher prices, i.e., stagflation. That makes any forecast uncertain.
Les Parker, CMB
Managing Director, Transformational Mortgage Solutions , Jacksonville , FL
Mortgage rates will go nowhere. Here’s a parody of “Grenade,” the 2010 hit by Bruno Mars. “To give Jay all our gains is all he ever asked. 'Cause what we don't understand is. He'd catch a Grenade for ya (yeah, no ease.)” Mixed U.S. and global economic data and news about crude oil keeps the struggle between lower and higher rates in balance chaotically.
Preetam Purohit
CFA, Head of hedging and analytics, Embrace Home Loans , Newport , RI
We think rates will continue to move sideways as policy regarding tax and tariffs takes shape. Inflation numbers came out lower than expected, and it was good to see a 2-handle on the CPI after a long time. Lower inflation provides the Fed with some room to decrease the Fed funds rate in case there is a slowdown in growth. Having said that, we will have to see the impact of the tariff wars on inflation. After the recent rally, bond markets are in a wait-and-watch mode.
Nicole Rueth
Market Leader, The Rueth Team of Movement Mortgage , Denver , CO
CPI came in slightly lower than expectations, yet the bond rally was small and quickly reversed. I believe it’s going to take a bigger miss to see a further rate drop. At this point, I am looking for rates to remain neutral to slightly higher.
James Sahnger
Mortgage Planner, C2 Financial Corporation , Jupiter , FL
CPI and the employment report came in lighter than expected, which should be beneficial for mortgage rates. In normal periods, this would have been the case, but with the Trump administration and new tariffs, inflation expectations for the future are rising. However, with layoffs and spending cuts anticipated within the Federal government, there will be drag on the economy in the months ahead. Interesting times are definitely ahead for those in the financial markets and consumers.
Sean P. Salter, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Finance and Dale Carnegie Trainer, Middle Tennessee State University , Murfreesboro , TN
Unchanged. The 10-year Treasury yield has been moving higher over the last week, which should point to higher mortgage rates; however, early indications are that inflation seems to have eased in February, which could indicate lower future rates. Talks of tariffs and trade wars, piled on top of the very public (and contentious) conversation surrounding the Biden mortgage relief policy — and whether Trump should continue it or cut it — have created significant uncertainty. While mortgage rates might move slightly higher or slightly lower over the next week, I believe things will remain basically unchanged unless we get some clear direction from the administration on a wide array of economic policies and practices.
Robert J. Smith
Chief Economist, GetWYZ Mortgage
Rates should be rangebound and substantially unchanged over the next week, given today’s CPI data and no meaningful upcoming data on inflation or employment.