Average 30-year fixed mortgage rates have remained around a steep 7% for several weeks. While President Donald Trump has claimed he will bring mortgage rates down to 3% -- which would indicate a severe economic crisis -- the president doesn't set rates on home loans.

Mortgage rates are up just a couple of basis points since last week, keeping them near their post-Christmas low. Rates on new 30-year fixed-rate loans averaged 6.98% on Friday, as compared to the 4-week low of 6.93%. 15-year loans saw their Friday-to-Friday average rise a more sizable 8 basis points, now up to 6.14%.

These are today's mortgage and refinance rates. The Fed isn't expected to cut rates this week, but we may see mortgage rates fluctuate anyway.

The BoC’s tone during its policy-rate announcements matters, Mr. Rethazy notes. Even when rates drop, hints of inflation concerns or potential future hikes can push bond yields higher, which in some cases could drive fixed mortgage rates higher.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage reached 7.04% for the week ending January 16 — the highest level since May.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased this week to just below 7%, its first decline after climbing five weeks in a row.

The current mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell by 0.14 percentage point in the last week to 6.97%, according to the Mortgage Research Center. Meanwhile, the APR on a 15-year fixed mortgage dropped 0.