Weekly Housing Headlines

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 6.95%, up from 6.76% last week; mortgage applications decreased 4.1% from one week earlier; new home purchase mortgage applications decreased 5.5% in August; pending home sales increased by 0.3% month-over-month in August and decreased 4.7% year-over-year; property insurance costs have gone up 8.7% from a year earlier and nearly 80% since the beginning of 2020; and buyers in 2020–2021 accumulated $86,000 more home equity than post-2022 buyers due to rapid home price surges.

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Mortgage rates climb for fourth-straight week to hit highest level since Trump took office
CNN Business - 9/17/2026
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 6.95%, up from 6.76% last week, according to Freddie Mac. It’s the fourth-straight week of rising rates and the largest one-week jump in mortgage rates in 16 months.

Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage Bankers Association - 9/16/2026
Mortgage applications decreased 4.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 11, 2026.

August New Home Purchase Mortgage Applications Decreased 5.5 Percent
Mortgage Bankers Association - 9/15/2026
Increasing mortgage rates continue to put pressure on new home sales activity. Applications to purchase newly constructed homes declined in August for the fifth straight month, with the level of applications down to its lowest in 2026.

NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 0.3% Increase in August
National Association of Realtors - 9/17/2026
Pending home sales in August increased by 0.3% month-over-month and decreased 4.7% year-over-year, according to the National Association of Realtors Pending Home Sales report.

Rising Insurance Costs Complicate Mortgage Qualification
Mortgage Professional America - 9/11/2026
The average mortgage holder with a single-family home paid $209 a month for property insurance, up 8.7% from a year earlier and nearly 80% since the beginning of 2020, according to the September ICE Mortgage Monitor.

Well-timed wealth
Cotality - 9/16/2026
There's an equity gap. Buyers in 2020–2021 accumulated $86,000 more home equity than post-2022 buyers due to rapid home price surges.

Best Week To Buy Is Almost Here – and It Could Save Home Shoppers $14K
Realtor.com - 9/14/2026
The new Realtor.com Best Time To Buy 2026 report identifies Sept. 27–Oct. 3 as the week boasting the optimal blend of market conditions favoring buyers at the national level.

Metro Report Cards: Top and Bottom of the Class for Homebuilding and Affordability
Realtor.com - 9/16/2026
Here is Realtor.com’s homebuilding and affordability grades for the 100 largest metro areas of the country.

Credit Card Debt Drives Homeowners Toward Equity
National Mortgage Professional - 9/14/2026
52% of homeowners carrying credit card debt said they researched debt-consolidation options during the past year, and 42% have considered using their home equity to pay the debt off faster.

Single-Family Home Construction Jumps Unexpectedly in August
Realtor.com - 9/17/2026
Privately-owned housing unit starts rose 7.6% last month from July, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, although total housing starts were 2.6% below July and 1.2% below August 2025.