Does the sharp rise in non-performing mortgage loans now being witnessed tell us that the full extent of stress from the high interest rates is emerging and becoming fully visible? Mortgage interest rates had been, in a historic sense, virtually non-existent. At that time the average one-year fixed mortgage rate was just 2.2%. But as I say, most of the eye-watering jumps in interest rate sizes seem to be behind us. But, okay, even if mortgage rates do start to decline in the second half of the year - how much will they decline by?