RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Another week, another interest rate pause from the Federal Reserve. The central bank issued its fifth such halt this week following a two-day meeting, leaving borrowers saddled with higher interest rates on everything from credit cards to mortgages. And with the prospect of a Fed rate hike significant for when it meets again in September (the CME Group currently projects a 64.8% likelihood of an increase then), borrowers will need to be strategic in their approach.\u00a0And that\u0027s especially true for homebuyers and owners still hoping to refinance. If these groups didn\u0027t take advantage of the mortgage rate decline in 2025 \u2013 and the brief one earlier in 2026 \u2013 then they\u0027ll need to take selective action now to have any chance of buying or refinancing success.While that means making the right moves, like boosting your credit score to make you an attractive applicant, it also means avoiding some costly mortgage rate mistakes, too. Below, we\u0027ll outline three specific ones worth navigating around now that the Fed has paused interest rates again.Start by seeing how low of a mortgage rate you could qualify for here.3 mortgage rate mistakes to avoid post-Fed rate pauseTo improve your chances of borrowing success now, it\u0027s equally important to know what not to do as it is to know what to do. Here, then, are three specific mistakes most borrowers should avoid making now:Skipping a mortgage rate lockA mortgage interest rate lock will protect you from any mortgage rate hikes still to come. While no one knows when, specifically, rates will increase, it\u0027s important to remember that they can tick up even absent a formal Fed rate hike based on other economic factors. Lenders, too, can adjust their rate offers upward as a formal rate hike grows in likelihood. Locking in a rate now, however, will protect you from that growing possibility and it will allow you to budget with clarity. And, if rates drop before you ultimately close on the property, most lenders will allow you to unlock your rate and relock the new and improved one. In the interim, however, you\u0027ll build a baseline level of protection into your borrowing plans.Learn more about your mortgage rate lock options now.Automatically using the lender familiar to youIf you\u0027ve been working with a lender that\u0027s servicing your current mortgage loan or are familiar with one already, it may be tempting to automatically leverage that relationship when buying or refinancing. But in today\u0027s high-rate climate it\u0027s more important than usual to shop around for mortgage rates and lenders, even if that may ultimately result in a switch. Shopping around for mortgage rates has historically been shown to result in a rate ranging from 0.50% to 1% below average. That can still be true in today\u0027s climate but you won\u0027t be able to take advantage of it if you don\u0027t do your homework first. Don\u0027t discount the benefits, too, of then returning to the lender you already know to see if they can beat the rate offer you\u0027ve found elsewhere.\u00a0Not monitoring the broader economic trendsAs noted above, mortgage rates can rise or fall based on other factors besides the Fed. Failing to pay attention to these can mean losing out on a brief opportunity to lock in an improved rate. So be sure to monitor the movement of the 10-year Treasury yield, unemployment and inflation data and geopolitical tensions and overseas conflicts, all of which have the inherent ability to cause rates to move, perhaps in a direction that\u0027s more favorable than current circumstances permit.The bottom lineAn imperfect borrowing climate which has solidified thanks to an extended Fed rate pause will need to be traversed carefully. Being well-informed is critical now and, by avoiding these three mistakes, borrowers will better position themselves for success, even if the mortgage rate they secure is still higher than they would prefer. In today\u0027s economy, making these mistakes can be the difference between proceeding with your homebuying or refinancing plans or having to table them for the foreseeable future.
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