Mortgage rates are starting 2026 marginally higher, according to Freddie Mac, with many observers expecting them to approach and possibly even move below the 6% barrier. Processing Content “In the first full week of the new year, mortgage rates remained within a narrow range, hovering close to the 6% mark,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s […]
Conforming mortgage rates should remain around 6% in 2026 Read More »
US mortgage rates fell last week to the lowest level since September 2024, a hopeful sign for the sluggish housing market to start the new year. Processing Content The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 7 basis points to 6.25% in the week ended Jan. 2, which included New Year’s Day, according to Mortgage
US mortgage rates fall to 6.25%, lowest since September 2024 Read More »
Flush with deposits, U.S. banks are buying up mortgage bonds and betting that the asset class will get a further boost in 2026 from relaxed capital rules.Late last year, commercial bank holdings of mortgage paper reached the highest level since 2023, and stood at more than $2.7 trillion toward the end of December, according to
Banks snatch up MBS that notched best returns since 2002 Read More »
The spread between the 10-year Treasury yields and 30-year fixed mortgage rates tightened at the end of 2025, largely driven by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increasing their holdings of mortgage-backed securities, a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods report claimed. Processing Content But a bigger picture issue overhanging the increase in portfolio size is should the
Mortgage spreads are narrowing, but for which reason? Read More »
I have often debated whether the mortgage rate lockdown is real or just another housing myth. At first glance, the lockdown theory seems like common sense, so when mortgage rates jumped from 3% to 7% in 2022, it was logical to wonder why anyone would choose to sell their home. People with low rates seemed
New homeowner data challenges mortgage rate lockdown theory Read More »
The nation’s private mortgage insurers are adequately capitalized to deal with the housing market’s challenges during 2026, so on balance they have a neutral outlook for next year, Fitch Ratings said. Processing Content “We expect strong borrower credit profiles, relatively stable employment levels, and persistent home price appreciation to help mitigate pressures from ongoing housing-affordability
MI, title firms positioned well for 2026’s challenges: Fitch Read More »
The 30-year fixed rate mortgage is ending 2025 at its lowest point for the year, but still in the same flat range it occupied since late October, according to Freddie Mac. Processing Content The rate for this mortgage averaged 6.15% on Dec. 31, down from last week when it was at 6.18%, the Freddie Mac
Conforming mortgage rate ends year at low point Read More »
Mortgage rate movement remains stuck in neutral as 2025 comes to an end, but the U.S. housing market has shown signs of life during a traditionally slow period. On Monday, Mortgage News Daily reported an average 30-year fixed rate of 6.19%, down 5 basis points from a week earlier. And on Tuesday, HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates
Will stable mortgage rates and home prices set the table for a strong 2026? Read More »
Key Insight: One of the most consequential developments will be President Donald Trump’s choice to replace Fed Gov. Stephen Miran, because whomever Trump selects is likely to also serve as the next Fed chairman after Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s term expires in May. Expert Quote: “If the FOMC is no longer acting purely neutrally with
The coming year will be pivotal for the Federal Reserve Read More »
Purchase application data had its first positive year in many years in 2025, meaning we had more positive than negative week-to-week data, and most of the year was positive year over year in almost every weekly print. However, existing home sales will likely be only slightly higher in 2025 than in 2024. So how could
Why 2025’s strong purchase application data didn’t boost home sales Read More »