Mortgage rates near highs
The 30‑year fixed mortgage is trading around 6.25% — the highest since last September — squeezing affordability for buyers and refinancers. The MBA and market trackers expect rates to stay elevated (near ~6.1%) through the rest of 2026, keeping purchase and refinance activity under pressure. (finance.yahoo.com) (mortgagedaily.com) (indexbox.io)
The yield on the 10‑year Treasury rose to about 4.39% on March 20, 2026, a move that pressured mortgage‑backed security prices and helped lift consumer mortgage rates. (advisorperspectives.com) Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed the 30‑year fixed averaged 6.22% for the week ending March 19, 2026, up from 6.11% the prior week. (freddiemac.com) The Mortgage Bankers Association reported total mortgage application volume fell 10.9% in the week ending March 13, 2026, while the Refinance Index dropped 19% and the refinance share of activity fell to 52.3%. (mba.org) MBA data also showed the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index ticked up 1% week‑over‑week and was 12% higher than the same week a year earlier, signaling purchase demand holding up despite higher rates. (mba.org) Major forecasters — including the Mortgage Bankers Association and Fannie Mae — project the 30‑year rate will remain in the low‑to‑mid‑6% range (about 6.1%) through much of 2026 in their published forecasts and outlooks. (mba.org) The Federal Reserve held its policy rate on March 18, 2026 and its projections signaled only limited easing later this year, a stance officials said was driven in part by uncertainty around energy prices and inflation. (federalreserve.gov) Market trackers reported lender rate sheets and Mortgage News Daily’s index showed top‑tier 30‑year offers moving above 6.5% on March 20, 2026, with analysts linking the spike to higher bond yields after volatility tied to the Middle East conflict. (mortgagenewsdaily.com)
