Mortgage rates

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods attributes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac portfolio growth for the narrower spreads, but other reasons include lower volatility.

Fitch Ratings' outlooks for mortgage and title insurers this year are neutral, as housing deals with affordability challenges and a likely economic downturn.

After piercing the 7% ceiling in January, the 30-year fixed trended lower the rest of the year, dropping 89 basis points from peak to trough, Freddie Mac found.

The Federal Reserve is slated to undertake a number of important rules and regulations in 2026, but decisions around agency leadership and the Trump administration's avowed effort to exert greater control over the central bank are likely to leave a lasting legacy at the agency.

The MBA's Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, dropped 5% on a seasonally-adjusted basis and 6% on an unadjusted basis.

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped 3 basis points this week, its lowest level since October and just over its 52-week bottom, Freddie Mac reported.

The president's latest commentary comes as he is looking to new leadership at the Fed to help reduce borrowing costs, as he increasingly feels political pressure to address voter concerns over affordability.

Our experts expect a mortgage market reset in 2026 with an uptick in originations, but warn lenders not to skimp on compliance even as the reins loosen.

While the 30-year average has hovered near the same level for weeks, the past year brought with it promising trends that may ease affordability in 2026.

Mortgage activity fell 3.8% from one week prior for the week ending Dec. 12, led by a 4% drop in refinance applications, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

The home purchase market, which competes for consumers with rentals, should remain subdued in 2026 because of high mortgage rates and low affordability.

Approximately 70% of home purchasers do not get more than one quote in the mortgage process, doing so could reduce their rate by 50 basis points, Zillow said.

The investor markets already set mortgage rates to include the 25 basis point reduction the FOMC announced, and it is too early to see the longer-term effect.

With the Federal Reserve decision largely factored in, Jerome Powell's comments on future outlook is more likely to influence the housing market.

November rate locks fell seasonally but hit their strongest level since 2021, led by refis, while lenders shifted more loans to the GSE cash window.

An influx of adjustable-rate and cash-out refinance mortgage programs during the month pushed the Mortgage Credit Availability Index 0.7% higher in November.

Treasury yields climbed to the highest in more than two months, following losses in most global government-bond markets, ahead of a Federal Reserve interest-rate decision that may alter expectations for monetary policy in 2026.

Refinance retention hit 28% last quarter, the highest percentage in three and a half years, according to ICE Mortgage Technology.

The drop in mortgage rates as measured by Freddie Mac, came about even as the 10-year Treasury yield used to price loans moved higher since Thanksgiving.

The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 8 basis points to 6.32% in the week ended Nov. 28, which included the Thanksgiving holiday, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday.