Long-term mortgage costs have risen since the Federal Reserve started cutting interest rates in September as the yield curve has steepened.

The mortgage interest rates of 2020 and 2021 may never reappear but, if they do, it will be a gradual process to get them back there (minus a catastrophic economic downturn). Homebuyers and homeowners looking to refinance, then, shouldn't wait for a perfect circumstance that's unlikely to materialize.

On Nov. 7, the Federal Reserve implemented a 0.25% reduction to the federal funds rate, its second cut in over four years. Prospective homebuyers are eager for a silver lining in the housing market. But experts don't anticipate dramatically lower rates before the end of the year.

Though the Fed was already set to cut rates at least once more before the end of 2024, the modest 0.25% rate cut targeting 4.5%–4.75% indicates that the central bank is proceeding with caution in light of a Donald Trump Administration.

Mortgage rates, in particular, surged last year to their highest level since 2000 but have since come down alongside inflation. But it's been a bumpy ride back to the bottom in recent weeks. What, then, does this latest Fed rate cut mean for mortgage interest rates? That's what we'll break down below.

Though the Federal Reserve has been cutting interest rates, mortgage rates have been increasing or holding steady. When will potential homeowners see mortgage relief.

The Fed cut rates for the second time this year. Learn how this impacts mortgage rates and what to expect in the coming months.

The average 30-year mortgage rate has been above 6% for two years — and is likely to stay above that level for the foreseeable future, experts say. A combination of better-than-