Traditional & Non-Traditional Mortgage Solutions

MORTGAGE RATES: WEEK OF 2/16/2025 

🏠 FHA: 5.125% (APR ~5.876%)

FHA allows as little as 3.5% down up to a $1.2M loan amount.

📄 CONFORMING: 5.875% (APR ~5.968%)

Conforming allows as little as 3% down on loans up to $833k, or 5% down on loans up to $ 1.25 M.

🏦 JUMBO 7/ARM: 5.625% (APR ~5.81%)

Jumbo loans are required above $1.2M, but rates can be more competitive with strong credit/reserves.

🧾 BANK STATEMENT LOANS: 6.25% (APR ~6.368%)

Perfect for self-employed borrowers who can’t qualify with tax returns.

What is APR? Basically, APR is how lenders communicate the cost of a loan so you can compare between lenders. It's not the rate your payment is based on.  

Mortgage Market Update

Mortgage rates are drifting lower in recent sessions, with national 30-year averages in the low-to-mid-6% range and some pockets showing slight declines. 
This isn’t a guaranteed slide — it’s more of a stabilizing, data-dependent environment where each economic release can nudge pricing.

Translation:
Buyers and refinancers are seeing real windows of improvement, but they’re subtle and can shift quickly if incoming data surprises.

What moved the market this week?

CPI and inflation trends cooler than expectations — supporting modest rate movement lower.
Jobs data showing continued hiring — a resilient labor market tends to keep bond yields from collapsing.
Affordability and housing demand buzz — even small rate moves impact borrower behavior and purchase activity.

What to watch next?

Upcoming inflation prints: Cooler data keeps optionality alive.
Continued labor market releases: Slower payroll growth can push yields and rates down.
Treasuries & MBS flows: The bonds are where rate moves actually originate, not the headlines.

Looking ahead
Long-term trends still point to easing as economic growth slows and inflation stays subdued, but the path will be uneven. Expect small relief pockets and short-lived dips, not a straight glide downward.

For buyers, this market rewards readiness and strategic structuring, not passive waiting. For homeowners considering refinancing, being prepared to act when your window opens — even if brief — is key.

Derek Vail | NMLS #1233953 | Equal Housing Lender