After climbing for the last six weeks, mortgage rates have leveled off. They didn’t go down this week but they didn’t go up either, and economists say that

When the Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point in September, it wasn't a particularly surprising move. At that point, the Fed was expected to make its first rate cut of the year in response to cooling inflation.

The Federal Reserve delivered a 0.25% interest rate cut last week. But prospective homebuyers wishing for lower mortgage rates are likely to be disappointed. While the central bank influences home loan rates,