Overview
- Freddie Mac pegged the 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.16% on Jan. 8, with the 15-year at 5.46%, both hovering near recent lows and below year-ago levels.
- Freddie Mac said purchase applications are up more than 20% from a year earlier, indicating improved momentum versus late 2025.
- MBA reported total mortgage applications fell 9.7% in the holiday week ending Jan. 2, marking a new low to close 2025 and underscoring near-term weakness.
- Mortgage credit availability declined 2.6% in December, with the conforming index at its lowest since the survey began in 2011, according to MBA.
- Zillow data showed a 5.99% average for 30-year purchase rates versus 6.75% for 30-year refinances on Jan. 8, as analysts broadly expect rates to hover in the low‑6% range through 2026.