Mortgage news and guidance: current rates, points and buydowns, affordability, and how financing shifts affect homebuyers and homeowners in 2026.
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 6.66% this week, its highest level in a year, as Freddie Mac’s weekly survey showed borrowing costs extending a multi-week climb.
The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady on July 29 in a 9-3 vote, with three officials pushing for a hike — an unusually hawkish split that leaves mortgage rates likely to hold near current levels into the fall.
Redwood Trust finalized a joint venture giving its Aspire mortgage banking platform up to $8 billion in purchasing power, as the company’s overall mortgage production topped $8 billion for a second straight quarter.
Freddie Mac’s second-quarter net income climbed 61% from a year earlier to $3.8 billion, lifting the mortgage giant’s net worth to $78 billion as it keeps building capital toward eventual release from federal conservatorship.
PennyMac Financial Services posted an 84% year-over-year drop in second-quarter net income as elevated mortgage rates weighed on loan production, even as the company’s servicing portfolio and total revenue both grew.
U.S. mortgage applications dropped 6.4% for the week ending July 24 as the 30-year fixed rate climbed to 6.76%, its highest level since August 2025, MBA data show.
Fannie Mae reported Q2 2026 net income of $4.0 billion, up 20% year over year, as single-family purchase acquisitions rose $17.9 billion and multifamily delinquencies improved.
A federal judge dismissed a class action alleging Zillow steered homebuyers to its own mortgage unit, ruling plaintiffs lacked standing, but gave them until Aug. 17 to refile.
The 30-year mortgage rate hit its highest level since August 2025 this week, just as the Fed meets under Chair Kevin Warsh. Here’s what’s verified, and what’s still just a theory about rates going up now and down later.
Rocket has sued United Wholesale Mortgage for at least $100 million, alleging UWM violated a non-solicitation agreement tied to mortgage-servicing rights on loans Mr. Cooper bought from UWM in 2024. UWM calls the suit baseless.
New FHA-backed mortgage defaults fell 15% year over year in June, the largest annual decline in more than four years, even as overall delinquencies and foreclosure activity ticked higher, ICE Mortgage Technology reports.
JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Bank of America grew mortgage originations roughly 32% on average in Q2 — banks are competing for home loans again.
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.58% this week, its highest level of 2026 and a third straight weekly increase, Freddie Mac’s survey shows.
HUD’s 14-change FHA package streamlines appraisal reviews, eases 203(k) renovation draws and cuts duplicate paperwork — modest but real borrower savings.
Title insurers wrote $4.5 billion in Q1 premiums, up from $3.9 billion, while claims fell — a clean confirmation that transaction volume is recovering.
A July survey found 34% of economists expecting a Fed hike next — quadruple January’s share. Days later, June’s CPI drop rewrote the story.
The OCC’s Q1 report tracks 10.2 million bank-serviced mortgages — $2.6 trillion, 19.1% of the market — the regulator-grade check on mortgage health.
The MBA’s credit availability index fell 2% in June, led by a 4.6% drop in FHA and VA programs — tightening options for stretched borrowers.
June’s CPI fell 0.4% — the largest monthly drop since April 2020 — cutting annual inflation to 3.5% and cooling expectations of another Fed hike.
A Florida man received 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in an appraisal-fraud scheme prosecutors tied to $65 million in defective loans.
Debt-to-income ratio can make or break a mortgage application. How lenders calculate DTI and the limits that matter in 2026.
Mortgage applications are running above year-ago levels. What weekly application data says about buyer demand in 2026.
FHA and VA loans both help buyers with lower upfront costs, but eligibility, mortgage insurance and funding fees differ.
FHA and conventional loans help different buyers. Compare down payments, mortgage insurance, credit flexibility and loan limits.
A lower mortgage rate does not always make refinancing worth it. Learn how to calculate your break-even point and compare costs.
Adjustable-rate mortgages can offer lower initial rates, but buyers need to understand caps, resets, margins and payment risk.
A 15-year mortgage can save interest and build equity faster, while a 30-year mortgage offers lower monthly payments.
A mortgage rate lock can protect buyers from rising rates before closing. Here’s when locking or floating may make sense.
Mortgage points can lower your interest rate, but they only make sense if the upfront cost is worth the monthly savings.
A rate buydown and a price cut help buyers in different ways. Here’s how to compare monthly savings, cash to close and long-term value.
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