Freddie Mac said the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.49% this week from 6.43%, raising borrowing costs for homebuyers and returning to its level from two weeks ago.
Higher crude oil prices and inflation worries tied to the Iran war have pushed long-term bond yields higher, with the 10-year Treasury at 4.55% Thursday versus 3.97% in late February before the conflict began.
The 15-year fixed mortgage rate also edged up to 5.82% from 5.79%, while the 30-year rate remains below 6.72% a year ago.
Elevated rates have continued to restrain housing demand: existing-home sales in the first half of 2026 were up just 0.7% from a year earlier and stayed near a 4 million annual pace, well below the roughly 5.2 million historic norm.