July Mortgage Rates

Rate lock volumes sank in July as mortgage rates exceeded 7% for the first time since November 2022. Black Knight’s Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices for July found that 30-year conforming rates cross 7% early in the month before bouncing down and up again, ultimately ending the month at 6.88%. In line with rising rates, lock volumes dipped 7% from June. “While they moved around a bit in July, there was no escaping the fact that conforming 30-year rates topped 7% in July for the first time since they spiked last fall,” said Andy Walden, vice president of enterprise research and strategy at Black Knight. “On both a practical and psychological level, that put further downward pressure on mortgage demand.…