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Freddie Mac

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Mortgage Rates Dip as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Eases Market Tensions
market-news1 day ago

Mortgage Rates Dip as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Eases Market Tensions

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.

Mortgage rates rise to 6.11% as Iran tensions drive bond market
business29 days ago

Mortgage rates rise to 6.11% as Iran tensions drive bond market

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 6.11% this week (from 6.00%), with the 15-year rate at 5.50%, as bond-market jitters tied to the Iran conflict and higher oil prices offset softer economic readings; the trend mirrors borrowing costs linked to the 10-year Treasury yield, amid a housing market still weaker than pre-pandemic norms.

Mortgage rates jump to 6% as Iran tensions roil bond markets
markets1 month ago

Mortgage rates jump to 6% as Iran tensions roil bond markets

U.S. mortgage rates rose back above 6% for the week ending March 5, with the 30-year fixed at 6% per Freddie Mac, as conflict with Iran rattles financial markets and the 10-year Treasury yield climbs; last week rates briefly dipped below 6%, but analysts warn that sustained Middle East tensions and higher oil prices could keep pressure on rates. Despite the uptick, rates remain well below early-2025 highs, and the housing market shows a mixed picture—affordability has improved, yet sales fell in January while prices continued to rise.

Mortgage rates dip below 6% for first time in years, signaling possible housing thaw
business1 month ago

Mortgage rates dip below 6% for first time in years, signaling possible housing thaw

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 5.98% in Freddie Mac’s latest survey—the first dip below 6% since September 2022 and down from about 7% a year earlier—potentially reducing monthly payments by hundreds of dollars and offering a glimmer of relief for a stalled housing market, though evidence that lower rates have spurred more activity remains limited as policymakers floated affordability measures.

Top-Tier Mortgage Rates Slip as 30-Year Hits 5.99%
business1 month ago

Top-Tier Mortgage Rates Slip as 30-Year Hits 5.99%

Mortgage rates dipped back into the 5s, with the 30-year fixed at 5.99% today (down 0.05) as the broader bond market and MBS benefited from Fannie/Freddie bond-buying plans; no new news sparked the move and today’s improvement is modest compared with January’s brief visit to similar levels. Lenders’ quotes vary based on upfront costs and borrower specifics, so 5.99% is a top-tier average rather than a universal rate, and rates remain vulnerable to intraday reversals if the bond market moves against them.

Trump Administration Promises Homeownership Boom as Mortgage Rates Drop
politics1 month ago

Trump Administration Promises Homeownership Boom as Mortgage Rates Drop

The White House touts a housing-market upturn under President Trump, citing Freddie Mac data that mortgage rates are at a multi-year low and affordability is improving, with rising refinance activity and demand for home purchases. Rents have declined, and starts are up, while policy moves—such as $200 billion in mortgage-backed-securities purchases, limiting large investors in single-family homes, barring certain non-citizens from taxpayer-backed loans, and rolling back the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule—are framed as expanding access to homeownership and lowering costs for American families.

Trump targets cheaper borrowing via mortgage bond push and 10% card cap
politics2 months ago

Trump targets cheaper borrowing via mortgage bond push and 10% card cap

Trump is pushing to lower consumer borrowing costs outside the Federal Reserve by directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to use their balance sheets to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds to press mortgage rates downward and proposing a one-year cap of 10% on credit-card interest. The moves aim to ease affordability without legislation or new regulations, but economists warn they could backfire or slow the economy even if mortgage rates dip below 6%.

Trump pushes $200B mortgage-bond buy to lower housing costs
politics3 months ago

Trump pushes $200B mortgage-bond buy to lower housing costs

President Trump says his representatives will buy about $200 billion in mortgage bonds to push down mortgage rates and make home buying more affordable, funded from liquidity on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s balance sheets rather than Fed/Treasury money. FHFA Director Bill Pulte said the two agencies can execute the purchases, noting liquidity exists even though their reported cash on Q3 filings was under $17 billion, with higher liquidity implied by assets like securities repurchases. The plan’s potential impact is likely modest compared with the Fed’s QE, possibly cutting rates by roughly 10–15 basis points, and timeline details were not disclosed. Trump also signaled more housing initiatives for Davos and has floated limiting institutional single-family home purchases.