Mortgage rates

Borrowers or lenders could use the prediction markets as a hedging tool, although experts noted the lack of trading volume as cause for caution.

While this only shows a 2-basis-point rise in the 30-year fixed since last week, the Lender Price product and pricing engine data is 30 basis points higher.

Rate discounts are available for both refinance and purchase mortgage applications from several lenders including UWM, Carrington, Chase and Silver Hill.

In the initial aftermath of the conflict, the 10-year Treasury rose by 10 basis points over a two-day period, pushing mortgage rates back above the 6% level.

As the US‑Israel‑Iran war disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and boosts oil prices, investors and trade flows are responding, creating mixed pressures on mortgage rates, housing costs and building materials.

The Supreme Court's decision seems to set limits on Pres. Trump's power, even if he wasn't inclined to hold on to the GSEs to control mortgage rates, BTIG said.

For the first time since early September 2022, the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey has the 30-year below 6%, but the 15-year gained this week.

Home prices edged up nationwide, but gains were modest and uneven. Major indexes agree on direction, differ on size, as 2025 posted weak growth.

A median-income household could comfortably afford a $331,483 home with a 20% down payment in January, $30,000 more than a year ago, Zillow found.

Research from Andrew Davidson claims a significant number of mortgage borrowers would have a wide variance in credit score if less than three pulls are used.

The increase in borrower activity came as housing starts ended 2025 on a high note, while mortgage rates were a percentage point lower year-over-year.

While the Freddie Mac survey recorded a weekly decline, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield had moved back up by 6 basis points around midday on Thursday.

Falling rates spurred a refi surge that pushed defect rates to 1.79% in Q3, driven by income and compliance documentation gaps as lenders ran lean, per Aces Quality Management.

The typical homebuyer's down payment in the United States decreased 1.5% year over year to $64,000 in December, Redfin said.

Treasuries rallied and broke key levels, but stubborn 5-year resistance still caps momentum and rate-cut expectations remain unchanged, the CEO of IF Securities writes.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.09% Thursday, down two basis points from last week, while the 15-year rate fell to 5.44%, according to Freddie Mac.

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President Jeff Schmid said the US central bank should hold rates at a "somewhat restrictive" level, as he expressed continued concerns over inflation that remains too high.

As mortgage rates sank to near 6% in January, consumers looked to do rate-and-term refinances, while originators offered more ARMs and cash-out loans.

Treasury yields experienced a bullish open with the 5-year yield dropping over 15 basis points in five days, ahead of key jobs and inflation reports, as the dollar demonstrated strong adherence to technical levels, according to the CEO of IF Securities.

The monthly principal and interest payment needed to purchase the average-priced home dropped 7%, or $164, year over year to $2,091, according to ICE.