Mortgage rates hit their highest level in a year, driven by war and inflation concerns

Business Mortgage rates hit their highest level in a year, driven by war and inflation concerns July 30, 20264:37 PM ET By  Stephan Bisaha A 'for sale' sign is seen on a house in Monterey Park, California, on September 17, 2025. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP hide caption toggle caption FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP Sign up for the Planet Money newsletter. The world is confusing. Economics can help The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit 6.66% this week, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., commonly known as Freddie Mac. That's the highest it's reached in a year — at the end of last July, the average rate was 6.72%. The biblically ominous 6.66% figure could strike fear into homebuyers because it's a sign that home ownership is becoming less affordable. Business More Americans are going bankrupt. What does that mean? Cost of Living Housing prices are causing some people to have smaller families than planned Last summer, rates were falling, and the decline continued into early 2026. Rates even dipped below 6% in February, raising hopes that this would unlock a tepid housing market, in which home seekers have been reluctant to buy and homeowners have been loath to give up lower pandemic-era rates. But then the war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz raised the price of oil. Rising oil prices meant more expensive shipping costs, which drove up the price of just about everything. That in turn drove up the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, a kind of security that is backed by the U.S. government. It's considered an indicator of which way other interest rates are trending — and mortgage rates closely follow. Sponsor Message "Oil prices always swing mortgage rates," said Kara Ng, senior economist at Zillow. "You get a real-time read every time you go to a gas pump about what it means to buy a home." The average for a gallon of regular on Thursday was $4.10, according to AAA, about $1.11 higher than before the war began. Kate Wood, a housing expert for...