Mortgage Rates Match Lowest Levels in Over 2 Weeks

In the bigger picture, the past two and a half weeks have been marked by a very narrow range in the bond market. Because bonds dictate mortgage rates, the latter have also been in a narrow range with average top tier 30yr fixed rates of 6.15-6.20%.  Yesterday's employment-related data helped bonds improve. Many lenders made mid-day improvements to mortgage rates yesterday, but there was enough of a tailwind that the average lender was lower again this morning--now in line with the lower boundary of the recent range. Next Wednesday's labor market data is a higher stakes event--one that could either bring rates back to the multi-year lows seen in January or push them up to the highest levels since December.