Mortgage Rate Blog
Honest, plain-English market commentary from a licensed loan officer. New post every week so you know what's moving rates and what it means for your home loan.
Latest Posts
Weak Jobs Report, Higher Rates: Why Bad News Did Not Help and What to Do Now
The 30-year fixed ended last week at 7.57% per Mortgage News Daily, near the 52-week high, even after a weak jobs report. Why bad news did not help, why the Freddie Mac survey jumped a quarter point, the payment math on a $500,000 loan, and what to do about it.
Read the full post →Rates Just Set a New High. Here Is My Lock Strategy Before This Week's Two Big Reports
The 30-year fixed touched a new 52-week high of 7.45% this week and sits at 7.43% per Mortgage News Daily, up more than half a point in two weeks. What pushed rates there, why Wednesday's inflation report and Friday's jobs report matter more than the last Fed meeting, the payment math on a $500,000 loan, a lock or float strategy for the week ahead, and quick notes on last week's departing residence rule and the new DU 12.1 update.
Read the full post →Renting Out Your Current Home to Buy the Next One? Fannie Mae Just Changed the Math
Starting with applications dated November 1, 2026, and earlier at many lenders, Fannie Mae will no longer accept a lease to document rent on the home you are leaving. The new departing residence rule explained: market rent only, 75% counts, offset only, six months of reserves for new landlords. Worked examples ($3,000 rent against a $2,500 payment is a $250 monthly hit and $15,000 in reserves), who it hurts, who it quietly helps, and why Freddie Mac may still say yes.
Read the full post →The Fed Hiked and Mortgage Rates Shrugged. If You Are Self-Employed, October 15 Matters More
The 30-year fixed is at 7.20% per Mortgage News Daily, almost unchanged after the Fed's first rate hike since 2023 and just under the new 52-week high of 7.24%. Why the hike barely moved mortgage rates, the payment math on a $500,000 loan, and why the October 15 extended tax deadline matters more than the Fed if you are self-employed: how write-offs shrink qualifying income, and when a bank statement or DSCR loan is the better fit.
Read the full post →Rates Cross 7% for the First Time Since Early 2025. A First-Time Buyer's Guide to Fed Week
The 30-year fixed is at 7.12% per Mortgage News Daily, a new 52-week high, after a hot August inflation report pushed Fed hike odds near 90% for Wednesday. What a Fed hike does and does not do to your mortgage rate, the payment math on a $450,000 loan, and a five-step playbook for first-time buyers: price the real rate, run FHA and VA at 6.125%, know your DTI cushion, lock inside 30 days, and point seller credits at the rate.
Read the full post →Rates Hit a 52-Week High. If You Need Cash, Do Not Touch Your 3% Mortgage
The 30-year fixed is at 6.89% per Mortgage News Daily, two hundredths under the 52-week high, and a strong August jobs report barely moved it. What that costs a buyer on a $500,000 loan, and why a homeowner with a 3.25% rate who needs $75,000 should take a second mortgage instead of a cash-out refinance: about $643 a month less in this example.
Read the full post →Jackson Hole Sent Rates to 3-Week Highs. FHA and VA Buyers Barely Noticed
The 30-year fixed jumped to 6.81% per Mortgage News Daily after the Fed chair's hawkish Jackson Hole speech, the highest in just over three weeks. What the move costs in monthly payment terms, and why FHA and VA rates near 6.37% are the quiet story most headlines skipped.
Read the full post →Rates Are Flat Going Into the Fed's Biggest Week of the Summer
The 30-year fixed sits at 6.77% per Mortgage News Daily after a week that ended almost exactly where it started. What a heavy data calendar and the Fed chair's first Jackson Hole speech mean for your lock decision, plus what an eighth of a point is actually worth on a $500,000 loan.
Read the full post →Rates Ticked Up This Week, but Bigger Loans Still Have a Cheaper Lane
The 30-year fixed rose to 6.76% per Mortgage News Daily, its highest in just over a week, as oil prices pushed Treasury yields higher. Why the jumbo-versus-conforming spread costs big borrowers real money, how high balance loans work under the 2026 loan limits, and the payment math on a $900,000 loan.
Read the full post →A Weak Jobs Report Just Sent Rates to 3-Week Lows: What It Means for Your Payment
Friday's July jobs report missed badly and the 30-year fixed dropped to 6.74% per Mortgage News Daily, its lowest since July 20. Why bad economic news is good rate news, the payment math on the move, and the smart play for buyers and refinancers before this week's inflation data.
Read the full post →What DTI Do You Need to Buy a Home? The First Number Lenders Check
Debt-to-income ratio kills more preapprovals than credit scores do, and the "43% limit" you read online isn't how modern underwriting works. Front-end vs back-end, the real limits for conventional, FHA, and VA in 2026, and a new free DTI checker that uses today's actual rate.
Read the full post →Rates Back Off Their Highs: What a 2-1 Buydown Actually Saves You
The 30-year fixed has eased to 6.75% per Mortgage News Daily, its lowest in over two weeks, with Friday's jobs report up next. How a 2-1 buydown works, what it saves in real dollars on a $400,000 loan, and who should ask for one.
Read the full post →It's Fed Day, What Today's Decision Means (and Doesn't) for Your Mortgage Rate
The Fed wraps its July meeting today with the 30-year fixed at 6.78% per Mortgage News Daily, just off a one-year high of 6.85%. Why the Fed doesn't set mortgage rates, what actually moves them, and what this month's climb costs in real dollars.
Read the full post →Inflation Cooled and Rates Fell, Time to Run Your Refi Math?
Rates went from 12-month highs on Monday to the week's lows by Friday, the 30-year fixed ended at 6.63% per Mortgage News Daily after June inflation came in much cooler than expected. Here's the refi break-even math, step by step, and what the dip means for buyers.
Read the full post →Rates Are Calm Before Tuesday's Inflation Report, Lock or Float?
The 30-year fixed is holding at 6.64% per Mortgage News Daily ahead of Tuesday's June CPI report. Here's how to think about locking versus floating when a market-moving number is one day away, with the dollar math on what a quarter-point actually costs.
Read the full post →Weak Jobs Report Sends Mortgage Rates Near Their 52-Week Lows
The 30-year fixed is at 6.59% per Mortgage News Daily, near the bottom of its 52-week range, after Thursday's jobs report came in much weaker than expected. What it means for buyers, and for anyone holding a rate that starts with a 7.
Read the full post →Rates Hold Steady in the Mid-6s, Why This Window Matters for Buyers
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits right around 6.65% this morning according to Mortgage News Daily. Here's what's keeping rates pinned in this range, and whether it's a good week to lock if you've been shopping.
Read the full post →