MARKETING TO BORROWERS

For the second week in a row, the 30-year fixed increased by 11 basis points, Freddie Mac found, a result of reaction to oil price hikes from the Iran conflict.

The conflict pushed oil price futures above $100 a barrel for a short time earlier this week, which affected bond investors and the 10-year Treasury yield.

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.

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.

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.

Even with the 4 basis point rise in the 30-year fixed over the past two weeks, mortgage rates are still hovering near three-year lows, Freddie Mac said.

This week the conforming 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell 10 basis points, with Optimal Blue data showing it broke through, at least briefly, the 6% level.

Forty percent of Americans planning to buy or sell a home in 2026 worry about a potential market crash, according to a new report from Clever Offers.

While August's views on buying conditions and rates increased over July, the other components in Fannie Mae's sentiment index all declined, driving it lower.

Black homeownership fell to 43.9% this summer, its lowest since 2021, as rising unemployment and federal layoffs widened housing gaps across demographics.

The 30-year conforming fixed rate mortgage ended this week at its lowest since last Oct. 17, helped by bond traders pricing in a reduction in short-term rates.

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell 2 basis points this week, Freddie Mac said, but other sources like Zillow and Lender Price reported larger drops.

The bank "temporarily" paused home equity line of credit lending in April 2020, over concerns regarding the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While still higher than the norm, the reduction in this spread is good news when it comes to mortgage rates for potential homebuyers as well as current owners.

Fannie Mae economists toned down their housing and economic outlook in August, predicting fewer home sales and less mortgage origination volume versus July.

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell by 5 basis points, with the Consumer Price Index showing muted inflation and jobs data still influencing the market.

As high interest rates make refinancing impossible for many homeowners, increasing numbers of them are turning to HELOCs and home equity loans for cash.

Fannie Mae also foresees more home sales than it did in June, but the Mortgage Bankers Association reduced its origination projections for 2025.

Housing supply is returning to pre-pandemic levels, but the rise comes as new listings fall, pointing to subdued demand, leading real estate brokerages said.