Expert poll: Mortgage rate trend predictions for October 22 - 28, 2026
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Rate-watchers polled by Bankrate expect rates to stay about the same in the coming week.
While 67% of experts think rates hold steady, another 11% believe they'll increase, and 22% believe they'll decrease.
The average 30-year fixed rate was 7.39% as of October 21, according to Bankrate’s national survey of large lenders.
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Explore mortgage ratesRate Trend Index
Experts predict where mortgage rates are headed
Week of October 22 - 28, 2026
| Go up | 11% |
|---|---|
| Stay the same | 67% |
| Go down | 22% |
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.Dr. Anthony O. Kellum, President & CEO, Kellum Mortgage
11% say rates will go up
Joel Naroff
President and Chief Economist, Naroff Economic Advisors , Holland , PA
Up. The government voter giveaways are just beginning.
22% say rates will go down
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.
67% say unchanged–
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.