Mortgage Rates Trend Downward, Partially Driven by Tax Talks

Mortgage rates fell again this week, continuing the downward trend they’ve exhibited for most of April.

In what was a relatively unremarkable week for mortgage rates, the modest movement was partially driven by discussions about a proposed increase in capital gains tax rates – which placed downward pressure on bond yields and thus rates – and anticipation of a key announcement by the Federal Reserve. Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated on Wednesday that the Central Bank has no immediate plans to increase interest rates or curb the purchases of mortgage-backed securities – a position that placed more downward pressure on bond yields and is likely to result in more mortgage decreases in the coming days.

Looking ahead, with a slew of key economic reports on the horizon – including consumer spending and inflation data – the relatively muted mortgage rate activity from the past couple weeks may transition to more significant movements

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