Yahoo Finance

Mortgage rates may remain above 6% 'even until 2026,' expert says

US new home sales rose 5.9% month-over-month in November, an appreciated uptick as elevated mortgage rates continue to deter homebuyers wishing to enter the housing market. Will these same trends persist into 2025? Walton Global EVP of Capital Markets Katie Hubbard sits down with Catalysts anchors Brad Smith and Josh Lipton to discuss the surge in homebuilder sentiment and where she forecasts home affordability to land in the new year. "Our clients are still... offering incentives like mortgage rate buy-downs because of the elevated mortgages. We don't think mortgages are going to get to 6%, not even until 2026, where that magic mortgage rate number is really 5.5%," Hubbard tells Yahoo Finance. "So... there's still that elevated mortgage is causing affordability issues on both sides." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.