Mortgage rates have barely budged over the past few weeks. If you’re a Ventura County homeowner weighing whether to sell your current place and buy your next one, that steadiness is worth paying attention to — not because it signals a big drop is coming, but because it gives you something more useful than a moving target: a number you can actually plan around.
Where rates stand right now
According to Freddie Mac’s most recent weekly survey, the average 30-year fixed rate came in at 7.40%, unchanged from the week before. Daily rate trackers, including The Mortgage Reports, have put the average closer to the low 7% range depending on the lender and the day. The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate a quarter point in September, and the bond market that mortgage pricing tracks has held fairly flat since then. Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Association are currently forecasting rates easing toward the high-6% range sometime in 2027, though forecasts shift as new economic data comes in — nobody has a reliable crystal ball here, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
These are national averages, not a quote for your loan. Your rate depends on your credit, down payment, loan type, and the lender you choose, so the only number that matters for your decision is the one a licensed loan officer runs for you specifically.
Why flat can be easier to work with than falling
A lot of move-up owners have told me they’re waiting for rates to drop before they list. That instinct makes sense, but it has a cost that’s easy to overlook: every month you wait is a month you’re not building equity in a home that fits your life now, and a month where the next house you want could sell to someone else.
When rates are moving fast in either direction, it’s hard to coordinate a sale and a purchase in the same window — the financing picture can shift between when you go under contract on your sale and when you’re ready to close on your purchase. A flat, predictable rate environment actually makes that coordination easier. You can lock in financing on your purchase with more confidence about what the number will look like by the time you close, rather than chasing a rate that keeps moving.
What to do with this information
If a move is on your radar for the coming months, a few steps are worth taking now, before you need them:
- Get pre-approved with a lender so you know your actual rate and payment, not a national average.
- Ask that lender directly about rate lock and float-down options, since those can protect you if rates move while your sale and purchase are both in motion.
- Run your own numbers on what a quarter-point move in either direction would do to your monthly payment, so a rate headline doesn’t catch you off guard.
- Talk through the sequencing of your sale and purchase with your agent early. Contingencies, rent-back options, and timing all matter more when two transactions have to line up.
None of this is financial or lending advice, and I’m not a lender. Rate environments change, and I can’t promise where they’ll be in three months any more than anyone else can. For guidance specific to your situation, talk with a licensed mortgage lender, and loop in a CPA if the tax side of selling and buying matters for your plan.
If you’re trying to figure out whether now is the right window for your own move-up plan, I’m happy to walk through it with you — no pressure, just a clear look at your options.
Doug Miller, RE/MAX Gold Coast, Remedios Team | (661) 607-7500
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