Prospective homeowners continue to see no relief in the rising cost of financing a home purchase, as the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose for a fifth consecutive week, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.69%, up slightly from 6.66% reported last week and the highest level in just over a year, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said on Aug. 6.
The average rate was 6.63% at the same time in 2025.
Rising rates are one of the reasons U.S. home sales have dropped in 2026.
Existing home sales fell 2.4% from May to June, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages fell slightly this week. That rate, which often is sought by borrowers looking to refinance a home loan, averaged 6.01%, down from 6.04% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.75%, Freddie Mac said.
