The U.S. housing market received a glimmer of good news, as mortgage rates dipped to a multiweek low and home buyer activity jumped to a multimonth high, signaling some hope for the tight market, though activity remains far more muted than it was during the recent housing boom.

MarketWatch spoke to several economists about their 2025 forecasts. The consensus was that they expect the rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage to drop to a 6.2% level by the end of 2025, but to not go below that.

These are today's mortgage and refinance rates. Mortgage rates are down slightly today, but where they go next depends on incoming economic data.

"While we may see mortgage rates drop modestly in December, anyone expecting a significant change for the better may be disappointed," says Darren Tooley, senior loan officer at Cornerstone Financial Services. Change likely isn't on the horizon for a few reasons, according to Tooley.

Mortgage lenders generally try to avoid setting rates more than once per day, but they will make changes if the underlying bond market is moving enough.  Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) are the bonds that directly dictate mortgage rate movement.

Rates for 30-year new purchase mortgages fell Friday, lowering the flagship average to it cheapest level since mid-October. Rates on other loan types showed mixed movement.

See current 30-year refinance rates and how they've been trending. Find the lowest rates to save on your mortgage, lower your payments, or access home equity.