Forget the "Fed put." These days, it's starting to seem like the Federal Reserve has been working on a new derivative: the Fed call. That's according to Doug Ramsey, chief investment officer and portfolio manager at the Leuthold Group.

Mortgage rates, in particular, surged last year to their highest level since 2000 but have since come down alongside inflation. But it's been a bumpy ride back to the bottom in recent weeks. What, then, does this latest Fed rate cut mean for mortgage interest rates? That's what we'll break down below.

On Nov. 7, the Federal Reserve implemented a 0.25% reduction to the federal funds rate, its second cut in over four years. Prospective homebuyers are eager for a silver lining in the housing market. But experts don't anticipate dramatically lower rates before the end of the year.

Earlier on Thursday, mortgage rates rose again for the sixth consecutive week, hitting a four-month high of 6.79%, according to Freddie Mac. The Fed's latest rate cut, which was universally expected and thus fully priced in to bond markets, is unlikely to bring relief to mortgage rates in the near term.

The average 30-year mortgage rate has been above 6% for two years — and is likely to stay above that level for the foreseeable future, experts say. A combination of better-than-

The Federal Reserve has cut short-term interest rates by 25 basis points. Nevertheless, mortgage rates went up again.