Expert poll: Mortgage rate trend predictions for October 22 - 28, 2026

Joel Naroff

President and Chief Economist, Naroff Economic Advisors , Holland , PA

Up. The government voter giveaways are just beginning.

Les Parker, CMB

Managing Director, Transformational Mortgage Solutions , Jacksonville , FL

Mortgage rates will go lower. Declining volatility and increased certainty about the future of oil flows from Russia and the Middle East supports lower rates.

Ken Johnson

Walker Family Chair of Real Estate, University of Mississippi

Both the risk of holding 30-year mortgages and the yield on 10-Year Treasurys have declined in the last few days. Let's go with momentum here — next week long-term mortgage rates will be down.

Dr. Anthony O. Kellum

President & CEO, Kellum Mortgage , Roseville , MI

I expect mortgage interest rates to remain relatively flat this week with the possibility of a modest decline. After the significant increases we've seen recently, some easing in Treasury yields could provide an opportunity for rates to stabilize and move slightly lower. However, inflation remains a concern, and the market is still weighing the strength of the economy against the Federal Reserve's next policy decision. I believe lenders will remain cautious, limiting the potential for any substantial improvement in mortgage pricing.

Sean P. Salter, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Finance and Dale Carnegie Trainer, Middle Tennessee State University , Murfreesboro , TN

Mortgage rates have generally flattened, and I expect them to remain in the current range unless we get some surprise information from the Fed or the geopolitical arena.

Dick Lepre

Senior Loan Officer, Realfinity , Alamo , CA

With nothing much happening, rates should stay flat. They are still too high, as the Fed tries to keep inflation under control.

Nicole Rueth

Senior Vice President, CrossCountry Mortgage , Englewood , CO

Rates are doing something we haven’t seen much of this year: holding still, and in a good way, consolidating last week’s surprising 0.27% drop rather than reversing it. The bond market is in a lull, driven more by uncertainty in the tech sector than by any economic data, which tells us how much this market is trading on sentiment right now. The Fed meets Oct. 28, and that is the next real test. Until then, expect rates to stay in this narrow band.

James Sahnger

Mortgage Planner, C2 Financial Corporation , Palm Beach Gardens , FL

The day-to-day volatility that left the markets reeling has lightened up a bit. Look for rates to remain rangebound over the next week.

Melissa Cohn

Regional Vice President, William Raveis Mortgage

Mortgage rates are holding steady this week after a slight drop in rates last week. Oil prices remain high, but weaker economic data, especially around housing, have provided the backdrop for a bit of stability.

Denise McManus

Certified Luxury Home Agent, APEX RESIDENTIAL Real Estate/Xpert Home Lending

The Fed walks into its Oct. 28 meeting holding a lit match, and Wall Street is betting it won’t strike it. After September’s quarter-point hike, the first since 2023, and a hotter-than-expected September inflation report at 3.7%, futures still give back-to-back hikes only about a one-in-six shot. Mortgage rates are already exhaling: Freddie Mac’s 30-year average slipped to 7.32% this week, down from 7.40%, as the 10-year Treasury backed off its early-October highs. My call through October 27: flat to slightly lower, holding in a 7.25% to 7.40% range. No lender is going to stick its neck out the day before a Fed decision, especially with a chair who has made it clear he doesn’t telegraph his moves. The real fireworks come Wednesday afternoon, not before. I predict rates will stay flat in the week ahead — but don’t bet on [the] long term.