Home Buying 24 February 2026 - 10 March 2026

U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rates hovered near 6% this week, with Bankrate reporting 6.21% and Freddie Mac at 6.00%. Existing home sales rose 1.7% in February to a 4.09 million annual rate, as affordability improved from a year earlier. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.102% after oil prices dropped. Economists warned affordability remains a challenge despite recent gains.

U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rates fell to 6.04% on Feb. 25 from 6.19% a week earlier, Bankrate reported. Zillow showed a lower average of 5.76% for the same loan type on Feb. 24. NAHB said a 0.25-point rate drop to 6% could make a median-priced new home affordable for 1.42 million more households. The Federal Reserve has not ruled out a rate hike, according to recent FOMC minutes.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate hovered near 6.07% Tuesday, close to a three-year low, according to Bankrate and The Mortgage Reports. The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.04%. U.S. stocks rebounded, with the S&P 500 up 0.57% and Nasdaq up 0.87%. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index rose to 91.2 in February from 89.0 in January.