Mortgage rates rise after home sales jump in October

Mortgage rates climbed closer to 7% this week while sales of existing homes saw a revival from a dip in rates two months ago.

Freddie Mac's latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.84% from last week's reading of 6.78%. The average rate on a 30-year loan was 7.29% a year ago.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors on Thursday reported that existing home sales jumped 3.4% in October from the month before to 3.96 million, lifting off a 14-year low in September. 

"Home sales surged in October because mortgage rates plunged below 6.25% in September," said Holden Lewis, home and mortgage expert at NerdWallet. "When rates dropped, buyers acted quickly — making successful offers in September and closing in October."

Many would-be buyers and sellers are holding out to see if rates fall further. Currently, about 80% of mortgage holders have a rate below 5%, according to a Zillow survey.

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The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage also fell slightly to 6.02% from 5.99% last week. One year ago, the rate on the 15-year fixed note averaged 6.67%.