For his part, Lewis says mortgage rates are poised to drop in February, after climbing above 7% in January. “The direction of consumer prices will have the strongest effect on mortgage rates in February. The core inflation rate should decline further, giving bond yields and mortgage rates room to fall, but not by a lot,” says Lewis.

Mortgage rates fluctuate daily, so a little volatility can always be expected. On Monday, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was around 6.96%, according to Bankrate data, which is 0.15% lower than January's peak of 7.11%. But February could see more turbulence than usual.