All articles tagged with #freddie mac
Mortgage rates have surged to a three-year high, with the 30-year fixed rate reaching 7.44% on October 2, 2026. While headline averages mask significant variation, experts advise buyers to optimize credit scores, down payments, and lender selection to secure rates below 7%. Alternative options like adjustable-rate mortgages and rate buydowns are gaining traction as affordability tightens.
Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) shares dropped 26.85% on September 29, 2026, following a regulatory shift that allows VantageScore 4.0 to replace FICO in mortgage underwriting. Rocket Mortgage announced it will use VantageScore as its primary scoring model for all eligible loans starting in Q4 2026, citing lower costs and broader borrower eligibility. This move follows FHFA Director Bill Pulte's earlier push to diversify credit scoring models, which had already triggered a sell-off in FICO and major credit bureaus in early September.
Ahead of the midterm elections, US housing costs stay stubbornly high as Freddie Mac reports 30-year mortgage rates climbing to 6.95%—the highest since January 2025—after the Fed’s rate hike and with the 10-year Treasury yield near its peaks. Builder confidence is at a multi-year low, mortgage applications are weak, and higher building-material costs compound the problem. About 49% of US metro areas now require roughly $100,000 in annual income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home (with a 10% down payment), up from 6% in 2019, underscoring widening affordability gaps even as real median household income in 2025 stood around $87,460. The housing crunch could influence voters as consumer sentiment deteriorates and policymakers grapple with the affordability squeeze.
Mortgage rates rose to 6.71% this week—the highest since July 2025—driven by a global bond sell-off and higher energy costs from geopolitical tensions, with the 10-year Treasury yield at multi-year highs. As rates push toward 7%, refinancing activity has cooled and pending home sales fell, signaling continued pressure on the housing market.
Mortgage rates rose to their highest level in over a year as a global bond selloff intensified and a Fed speech suggested higher rates could be needed. Freddie Mac puts the 30-year fixed at 6.71% for the week, with purchase rates today roughly 6.69% for a 30-year loan and 6.00% for a 15-year loan (plus mid‑6% ARMs and similar VA figures). Refinance rates are also up, about 6.68% for a 30-year and 6.09% for a 15-year loan. Traders assign roughly a 50/50 chance of a 25‑basis-point Fed hike at the mid‑September meeting. The article explains what drives rate moves, how to compare lenders, and why rates differ between purchase and refinance loans, while noting refinancing can be worthwhile if you can lock in a rate meaningfully lower than your current mortgage and outlining general mortgage basics.
Mortgage rates climbed to 6.66% for the 30-year fixed, the highest level in a year, as inflation remains above the Fed’s target and oil prices push yields higher; the weekly increase was the biggest in 10 weeks, and mortgage applications for purchases and refinancing fell, signaling cooling housing demand despite wage growth helping affordability.
Mortgage rates rose to about 6.85% for the 30-year fixed (Freddie Mac pegs it at 6.58%), the year’s high and a hurdle for buyers, prompting talk of a possible move back to 7%. Economists say a jump to 7% would depend on the 10-year Treasury yield approaching around 5%—a scenario that is possible but not guaranteed—and that, even with higher yields, a rate around 7% isn’t assured due to market ceilings, price competition, and continued housing demand pressures. Higher rates would weigh on housing activity while home prices remain at or near record levels in many markets.
Freddie Mac reports the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.49% this week, reversing a prior dip and keeping affordability under pressure for buyers. The uptick comes amid renewed tensions with Iran that could keep borrowing costs elevated, with analysts warning that relief may be slow. Realtor.com economist Joel Berner notes mortgage costs remain a key drag on the 2026 housing recovery, while Zillow projects rates easing only modestly later this year. Meanwhile, existing-home sales fell 2.4% in June, signaling ongoing weakness in demand as financing costs bite.
Mortgage rates edged higher this week as renewed US-Iran tensions and rising oil prices pushed bond yields higher. Freddie Mac puts the 30-year fixed average at 6.49% (up from 6.43%), with current lender quotes showing roughly 6.35% for a 30-year fixed, 6.21% for 20-year, and 5.94% for 15-year; refinance rates are typically a touch higher, around 6.4% for a 30-year loan. Market moves, fueled by concerns about inflation, prompted economists to note that rates had been retreating, but Iran's deteriorating ceasefire situation reversed that trend. The piece also covers rate determinants (down payments, credit scores, loan type) and advises shoppers to compare lenders for the best deal.
Mortgage rates eased this week to about 6.47% for the 30-year fixed as the US and Iran moved closer to a peace deal, with the 10-year Treasury yield also lower and inflation fears fading. The report also lists current purchase and refinance rates (various terms) and notes that Fed officials signaled policy may keep rates higher to stabilize prices, even though mortgage rates aren’t set by the Fed. The piece provides rate snapshots and basic guidance on factors that affect rates and when refinancing makes sense.
Freddie Mac says the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 6.48% for the latest week, easing borrowing costs for buyers and refinancers, though rates remain well above historical norms and affordability remains a hurdle amid high home prices and economic uncertainty.
Mortgage rates surged 0.75 percentage points to about 6.75% for the 30-year fixed as the bond market sold off in early trading; mortgage-backed bonds have held up better than Treasuries thanks to demand from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the move is the sharpest since late 2024 and marks a new high since before the Iran war began.
FHA will allow VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T for insured mortgages, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are updating guides to accept the new scores, a move aimed at lowering costs and broadening access to homeownership through greater competition in government-backed housing finance.
Freddie Mac reports the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.38% for the week, down 9 basis points—the first drop in five weeks as rates ease from a six-month high. The pullback coincides with a drop in the 10-year Treasury yield below 4.3% amid easing inflation fears, and homebuilders like D.R. Horton, Lennar, and PulteGroup edged higher. Despite the relief, affordability remains stretched with rates still above 6%. Redfin notes a record 34.2% of home sellers reduced prices in February, averaging a 7.3% cut ($40,915), underscoring ongoing housing-market pressure. Uncertainty remains ahead of U.S.-Iran peace talks and its potential impact on the Fed’s rate outlook.
Ackman argues that high-quality stocks are trading at attractive discounts and flags Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as potential 10x upside; Michael Burry agrees with the bullish view as both bet on a market bargain amid volatility and evolving post-crisis policy dynamics.