Economy

The 30-year fixed remains in its current range, but most expect the rate to reach 6% for 2026, and one observer feels it could actually break under this point.

President Trump said he would prohibit large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. While the executive couldn't bar such investments on its own, a legislative ban could gain bipartisan support.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Tom Barkin said economic uncertainty should ease in the coming year as businesses gain confidence in sustained demand and adapt to the new policy environment.

Late last year, commercial bank holdings of mortgage paper reached the highest level since 2023 as these depositories are flush with deposits.

Yields gravitated back toward session lows — down three to four basis points on the day — after the December ISM manufacturing gauge unexpectedly dropped.

The government-sponsored enterprise is under fire from dozens of the more than 100 workers it fired last spring for allegedly committing fraud.

Last year highlighted the risks for banks in lending to nondepository financial institutions. A new approach by Trump-era regulators could change the playing field.

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 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.

Three US senators opened an inquiry into insurance ratings firm Demotech and whether its assessments may be exposing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to growing risks tied to climate-driven insurer failures.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have added billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities and home loans to their balance sheets in recent months, fueling speculation that they're trying to push down lending rates and boost their profitability ahead of a potential public offering.

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.

The National Defense Authorization Act will be voted on by the House without the housing package that passed through the Senate Banking Committee unanimously.

New York developers are transforming struggling office buildings into more than 12,000 new apartments in a bid to help offset the city's worst housing crisis in decades. 

Big players, Wall Street and tech firms stand to gain. Community lenders call for policymakers to protect g-fee parity and the cash window. Part 5 in a series.

A bipartisan housing provision has emerged as a critical negotiating point for passage of an uncommonly bank-relevant defense authorization bill.

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.

Federal Reserve bank supervisors are monitoring community and regional banks' commercial real estate portfolios amid concerns over "lower commercial property values," the agency said. 

After three consecutive weeks of increases, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped 0.3 basis points to 6.23% this week, according to Freddie Mac.