All articles tagged with #freddie mac
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.
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman says the Middle East conflict is bullish for equities and urges investors to buy quality, pointing to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac trading near lows with 10x upside potential.
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.22% this week (from 6.11%), with the 15-year at 5.54%; higher Treasury yields and inflation concerns helped push rates up, dampening spring homebuying prospects as refinancing slows and overall demand for housing remains weak.
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.
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.
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.