Average US long-term mortgage rate dips to 6.01%, lowest level in more than 3 years

ALEX VEIGA

Thu, February 19, 2026 astatine 11:02 AM CST 2 min read

The mean semipermanent U.S. owe complaint slipped this week to its lowest level successful much than 3 years, but remains astir 6% successful the aforesaid constrictive scope it has been successful this year.

The benchmark 30-year fixed complaint owe complaint fell to 6.01% from 6.09% past week, owe purchaser Freddie Mac said Thursday. One twelvemonth ago, the complaint averaged 6.85%.

The humble pullback brings the mean complaint to its lowest level since Sept. 8, 2022, erstwhile it was 5.89%. That was the past clip the mean complaint was beneath 6%.

The caller diminution successful rates is simply a favorable pb successful to the yearly outpouring homebuying play — bully quality for location shoppers who tin spend to bargain astatine existent rates.

Meanwhile, borrowing costs connected 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, fashionable with homeowners refinancing their location loans, besides edged little this week. That mean complaint fell to 5.35% from 5.44% past week. A twelvemonth ago, it was astatine 6.04%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by respective factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest complaint argumentation decisions to enslaved marketplace investors’ expectations for the system and inflation. They mostly travel the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders usage arsenic a usher to pricing location loans.