NEW YORK–Mortgage rates could briefly drop below 6% in 2026, according to one new forecast.
Lending Tree’s 2026 Housing and Economic Predictions report projects mortgage rates will drop into the 5% range sometime next year, something that has not happened since 2022. Freddie Mac currently has the 30-year fixed-term mortgage rate at 6.1%, and the overall rate has not dropped below 6% since 2022.
Not surprisingly, a mortgage rate drop to under 6% could bring an uptick in sales and listings locally, according to Lending Tree’s chief consumer finance analyst, Matt Schulz, one of the authors of the report.
‘Americans Love Round Numbers’
“I think mortgage rates will fall below 6%, even if just briefly,” he said. “Americans love round numbers, so I think we’ll see a significant jump in refinancings…”
Lending Tree’s report outlines six predictions for the next year and mortgage rates are atop the list. Second is a new Federal Reserve chairman, who will be appointed by President Donald Trump, who will push to lower rates further, which could, indirectly impact mortgage rates.
