The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a half percentage point, or 50 basis points, on Wednesday, its first interest rate cut since March 2020. But homeowners shouldn't bet on the move as an opportunity to immediately refinance their mortgage.
That's because "a lot of these rate cuts are already priced in," Chen Zhao, the economic research lead at Redfin, an online real estate brokerage firm, recently told CNBC.
While mortgage rates are partly influenced by the Fed's policy, they are also tied to Treasury yields and the economy. Home loan rates have already started to come down in recent weeks, slightly induced in part by favorable economic data and indications the Fed could cut rates.
As of Thursday, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the U.S. was 6.20%, according to Freddie Mac data via the Fed. That's down from this year's peak of 7.22% on May 2.
More from Personal Finance:
What homeowners and buyers need to know as first rate cut is on the horizon