“To lock in the average 5.07% rate, borrowers had to pay fees equivalent to around 1.1% of the loan with a 20% down payment,” reports WSJ. “While rates have been low for most of the year—particularly since falling below 5% in September for the second time this year—one big question looming is what happens to those rates once the Federal Reserve slows, and ultimately stops, its debt purchases from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”