Mortgage rates hold near 6.73% as housing starts slump and yields rise

The 30-year fixed is still near 6.73% on the latest national daily index, after Monday's 0.02 increase. Tuesday morning was weaker under the hood. Treasury yields moved higher across the curve, and current-coupon mortgage-backed securities were 2/32 worse than Monday's close, so lender pricing is more likely to be a little worse than Monday than better.

What are mortgage rates today?

Mortgage News Daily last published its weekday index on Monday, August 17, 2026 (the daily survey updates around 4 p.m. ET on weekdays):

• 30-year fixed: 6.73% (+0.02)
• 15-year fixed: 6.30% (+0.01)
• 30-year jumbo: 6.87% (+0.02)
• 7/6 SOFR ARM: 6.32% (+0.03)
• 30-year FHA: 6.31% (+0.02)
• 30-year VA: 6.33% (+0.02)

That Monday print is up from Friday's 6.71% and Thursday's 6.69%. It is still below the recent high of 6.85%. Freddie Mac's weekly 30-year figure as of August 13 was 6.67%.

Tuesday's official daily index is not out until about 4 p.m. ET. A morning trend note said MBS had moved down slightly, with a minimal expected impact. The live open told a different story: conventional and Ginnie Mae MBS prices, and the 10-year note price, were all down versus the last reprice.

Individual lender quotes differ from a national index. A locked rate is not a closed loan.

Why did rates jump to start the week?

Monday's increase tracked higher bond yields. Escalating U.S./Iran tensions pushed fuel prices up, and those moves have been lining up with yields. The 10-year finished Monday at 4.72%, about 3 basis points above Friday.

Factory data on Monday was firm. The New York Fed said August general business conditions rose 5 points to 20.6, the strongest expansion in factory activity since late 2021. The six-month outlook rose to 32.1 from 27.9. The prices-paid index rose to 58.6 from 52.3, the first increase since May. Demand is holding, and AI-related business investment is still a support.

Homebuilder mood is not. The NAHB housing market index ticked up 1 point to 35 in August. Anything under 50 means more builders see conditions as poor than good. Future sales and buyer traffic were unchanged. 63% of builders are still using sales incentives. 35% said they cut prices, down from 37% in July. High construction and borrowing costs are still the weight.

What did this morning's data show?

July import prices fell 0.4%, versus a 0.1% increase that economists expected. Import prices are up 5.9% from a year ago, cooler than June's 7.1%. Export prices fell 1.3% on the month and are up 8.2% year over year.

Housing starts were the miss. Starts fell 12.4% in July to a 1.239 million annualized pace, well short of the 1.345 million estimate. New single-family construction was down 9.9%. Building permits were the offset, rising 5.0% to 1.443 million.

ADP's weekly employment change printed 9,500, after 8,250 the prior week. Industrial production and pending home sales were still ahead when this recap was written.

What does this mean if you are buying or refinancing?

A 30-year near 6.73% is not a new regime. It is two small up days from last Thursday's 6.69%. The morning open is the part that matters today: weaker MBS and a higher 10-year usually show up as slightly worse quotes until the next reset.

If you are shopping, get same-day quotes and ask how long a lock lasts. A 0.02 move on a national average is smaller than the gap between two lenders. Run a payment estimate, then look at purchase or refinance options. See when refinancing beats waiting.

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