US mortgage rates rise to highest level since August last year

Odaily Planet Daily News This week, US mortgage rates rose to their highest level since August last year, which is undoubtedly another piece of bad news for homebuyers, and this period is usually the busiest time of the year for real estate sales. Mortgage agency Freddie Mac said on Thursday that the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 6.51% this week, up from 6.36% last week.

In addition, rising housing insurance and property tax costs in many regions are also deterring buyers. The rise in mortgage interest rates this year has reversed the downward trend since the second half of 2025. Nevertheless, current mortgage rates are still lower than a year ago, and some buyers are taking advantage of the market's quiet period to enter. According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association, the number of mortgage applications for home purchases fell from the previous week but increased by 8% year-on-year. (Jinshi)