US mortgage rates fell to a fresh one-year low, encouraging more homeowners to refinance and drawing prospective buyers into the market.
The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage fell 7 basis points to 6.3% in the week ended Oct. 24, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. The group’s measure of refinancing jumped to the highest level since mid-September, and the index of home-purchase applications rose for the first time in five weeks.