Overview
- Mortgage rates held near the low‑6% range last week, with daily readings between 6.01% and 6.07% and a 6.04% weekly lock average, according to HousingWire and Mortgage News Daily.
- Early demand strengthened as purchase applications rose 16% week over week and 13% year over year, and pending home sales reached their highest weekly level in years.
- Most forecasts see the 30‑year average staying in the low‑6% range through 2026, though Bankrate’s Ted Rossman predicts the average could dip below 6%.
- HousingWire projects roughly 237,000 more existing‑home sales this year versus 2025 if mortgage rates remain at 6.25% or lower.
- Inventory is expanding with active listings up about 10.5% year over year and new listings rising, yet experts say large supply shortfalls and policy shifts — including White House actions on mortgage‑backed securities, tariffs or fiscal plans — could sway yields and restrict affordability gains.