Mortgage Rates in US Slide Below 7% for First Time Since August

  • Freddie Mac economist says market could thaw in coming year
  • Buyers are still confronting a lack of homes for sale

House hunters are still grappling with a lack of properties for sale as owners with lower rates have been reluctant to list homes. 

Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg
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Mortgage rates fell below 7% for the first time in four months, bringing some relief to a US housing market plagued with affordability issues.

The average for a 30-year, fixed loan was 6.95%, down from 7.03% last week, Freddie Mac said in a statementBloomberg Terminal Thursday.