Mortgage finance M&A deals are ticking up, with two mid-sized lenders announcing consolidation moves to cut costs and scale underwriting operations. Analysts expect more such deals if rate volatility subsides. Learn more: Interested in mortgage lenders with rate buydown programs? Read our Embrace Home Loans review and AmeriHome Mortgage review . Now let's compare the payments at today's rates to where things stood at the start of the year . That same $700,000 mortgage at January's 6.93% average rate would have meant monthly payments of $4,624.26. The difference? You're now paying about $273 less each month, which adds up to roughly $3,278 in annual savings. That's money that could go toward home improvements, emergency savings or simply providing more breathing room in your monthly budget. Mortgage finance-linked REITs recorded higher net interest income as spreads on agency paper widened. Investors watching book value stability view this as a signal of manageable interest-rate risk.