The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate eased this week from its highest level in nine months, welcome relief for prospective homebuyers. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.48% from 6.53% last week. The average rate remains below 6.85%, where it was a year ago. When mortgage rates decline they give homebuyers more purchasing power. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors' expectations for the economy and inflation.

The Trump administration has agreed to resume student loan forgiveness for an estimated 2.5 million borrowers who are enrolled in certain in certain federal repayment plans following a lawsuit from the American Federation of Teachers. Under the agreement reached Friday between the teachers union and the administration, the Education Department will provide loan forgiveness for those eligible in certain repayment plans that offer lower monthly payments based on a borrower's earnings. The government had stopped providing forgiveness under those plans based on its interpretation of a different court decision.

If Donald Trump wins the presidential election, Republicans hope he will fulfill a longstanding GOP goal of privatizing the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The two companies have been under government control since the Great Recession in 2008. Republicans believe the conservatorship has stymied competition in the housing finance market while putting taxpayers at risk should another bailout be necessary. But Democrats and some economists warn that ending the conservatorship would cause mortgage prices to jump since Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would need to raise fees to make up for the increased risks they'd face without government support.