Mortgage rates climb toward 2026 highs as inflation pressure persists

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 6.52% this week, just below its 2026 peak, while the 15-year fixed rate rose to 5.84%, Freddie Mac reported. Both rates remain below year-ago levels of 6.84% and 5.97%, respectively.

The retention strategy most brokers overlook

Broker-owners can use personal contact, open communication and shared community work to make agents feel valued before competitors try to recruit them away.

Stabilizing home prices giving buyers a clearer path to purchase

The median home price has stabilized, and mortgage rates have eased enough that monthly payments are more manageable than they've been in years. Realtors can use that shift to restart conversations with buyers who went quiet and help them find negotiating leverage on listings that have been sitting.

Rates Drop Sharply to One Week Lows

Mortgage rates began the day in uneventful fashion with the average lender right in line with yesterday's latest levels. Things might have gotten off to a slightly better start, but higher inflation in this morning's econ data and discouraging war-related headlines put upward pressure on bond yields