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Mortgage rates have dropped over the early months of 2025, offering home buyers an opportunity for some borrowing relief if they move ahead with the big-ticket purchase. The housing market remains sluggish and wider economic uncertainty looms, however. President Donald Trump's tariffs threaten to upend global trade and tip the U.S. into a downturn, experts said. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned on Wednesday of a possible resurgence of inflation, which could trigger higher interest rates. The mixed signals pose a quandary for home buyers: Is it the right time to get into the market? Lower mortgage rates ease the financial pain for prospective home buyers, presenting an incentive at a moment when it appears unclear whether borrowing costs will drop any further, some analysts told ABC News. "Mortgage rates have seen substantial decline," Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research at the National Association of Realtors®, told ABC News. "It's a measurable difference."