- Hey guys, Austin Schnieder here with The Mortgage Reports,
and today, we're gonna give you
the 2020 mortgage rate forecast from experts.
So, a lot of people are wondering what mortgage rates
will do in 2020.
That's why we interviewed 10 experts
to find out their predictions
for the mortgage rates in the new year.
Every expert we interviewed
called for continued low rates in the high 3% range.
But the individual predictions were surprisingly varied.
Our lowest predicted 30-year fixed rate was 2.89%.
That would mean that rates would drop
to their lowest rates ever by late 2020.
The expert said that this could happen
if the US economy enters a recession.
Rates are already low, but would be pushed even lower
in the event of an economic downturn.
Our highest predicted rate was 4.5%.
This might happen if the US economy stays strong,
and the recession fears fade in the new year.
But there were many more predictions
besides the straight numbers.
Here are three trends from the experts.
Trend number one, trade wars and tariffs
could actually push rates higher.
Trade wars are usually good for rates
since they introduce uncertainty into the economy,
but tariffs could push up prices for US consumers
which causes inflation and inflation is bad for rates.
Trade wars are a two-edged sword,
and their effect on mortgage rates is highly unpredictable.
Trend number two, 2020 could be a highly volatile year
due to the US election.
In 2016, the mortgage rates were expected to stay steady
but shot up faster than they had in years
after Trump's election.
Trump was viewed by the markets as good for the economy,
so rates rose in anticipation of higher economic output.
In 2020, we could see rates respond quickly
to developments in the US election,
especially if an unexpected candidate
wins in November of 2020.
Trend number three, mortgage rates will swing
more based off of international news than US economic news.
Things like Brexit, the Middle East conflict,
and unrest in Hong Kong will affect the rates.
International interest rate policies will affect us, too.
Many other countries are lowering rates,
some even issuing negative interest rates.
That could help rates in the US.
It's possible that lower rates abroad
could put downward pressure on the US rates.
All in all, there's a really good chance
that rates will be low
and the housing market favorable in 2020.
As always, if you see a great rate,
it's probably a good idea to lock it in
even if predictions are for low rates all year long.
Rates are highly unpredictable
and can shoot up at any time.
To learn more about mortgage rates and more predictions,
visit us online at TheMortgageReports.com.
Thanks so much for watching.
We'll see you on the next one.
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