Mortgages & Rates
Mortgage rate movements, refinancing, loan types, rate locks, lender comparisons, and how interest rates affect housing affordability.
Latest in Mortgages & Rates
Reverse-mortgage borrowers must keep paying property taxes and insurance or risk losing the home
A reverse mortgage can turn home equity into cash for a retiree without a monthly loan payment, but that convenience hides an obligation that catches...
On FHA reverse mortgages with case numbers assigned on or after August 4, 2014, a non-borrowing spouse must be listed correctly to stay after the borrower dies
A spouse can live in a reverse-mortgaged home for years without being a borrower, then face the loan becoming due when the borrowing spouse dies....
The federal reverse-mortgage limit rises to $1,249,125 in 2026 as seniors’ home equity hits a record
The federal ceiling attached to the most common reverse mortgage is $1,249,125 in 2026, up $39,375 from last year. The increase arrives while older homeowners...
VA-backed home loans can require zero down and no private mortgage insurance
A VA-backed purchase loan can remove two costs that usually arrive together for a lightly funded home purchase: the down payment and monthly mortgage insurance....
HUD can refund mistaken FHA mortgage-insurance payments, and confirmed checks typically arrive within 10 to 14 days
A mistaken mortgage-insurance payment does not have to remain trapped inside the Federal Housing Administration’s collection system. HUD recognizes refunds for overpayments, wrong case numbers,...
Mortgage rates hit a one-year high near 6.7%, raising the cost of downsizing in retirement
The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to about 6.66% in the week ending July 30, 2026, its highest level in a year....
The 30-year mortgage rate sat near 6.83% in late July.
The 30-year fixed mortgage sat near 6.83% at the end of July 2026 on daily-rate trackers, while the most-watched weekly survey put the same loan...
The federal reverse-mortgage lending limit jumped to a record $1,249,125 for 2026, freeing more equity for house-rich retirees.
Retirees sitting on high-value homes gained access to tens of thousands of dollars in additional equity after HUD raised the maximum claim amount for federally...
Eligible veterans can buy a home with no down payment or mortgage insurance
Veterans and active-duty service members can purchase a home through the VA-backed loan program without putting any money down and without paying monthly mortgage insurance,...
A federally backed reverse mortgage now lets seniors tap up to about $1.24 million of home equity without a monthly payment
Homeowners aged 62 and older can now access up to $1,249,125 in federally insured home equity through a reverse mortgage, with no required monthly principal...
Once you owe less than 80% of your home’s value, you can demand your lender drop private mortgage insurance
Millions of homeowners with conventional mortgages are paying monthly private mortgage insurance premiums they no longer owe. Federal law gives borrowers the right to demand...
The average 30-year mortgage has hovered near 6.55% for nine straight weeks
Homebuyers and existing borrowers hoping for cheaper monthly payments have watched the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sit in a tight band near 6.5 percent for...
The federal reverse-mortgage limit rose to $1,249,125 in 2026, letting seniors borrow more against their homes
Seniors with high-value homes will be able to tap significantly more equity through federally insured reverse mortgages starting Jan. 1, 2026. The Department of Housing...
Homeowners 62 and older are sitting on about $200,000 in equity they can tap without monthly payments
Millions of older Americans own homes with significant equity built up over decades of payments and price appreciation, yet most never convert that wealth into...
Homeowners 62 and older hold a record $14.39 trillion in equity, and the reverse-mortgage limit just rose to $1,249,125
For many older Americans, the largest asset they own is not a brokerage account or a pension. It is the house itself, paid down over...
Once your mortgage drops below 80% of the home’s value, you can ask to cancel PMI
Homeowners paying private mortgage insurance on a conventional loan have a federal right to request its removal once their loan balance drops to 80 percent...
Inherit a home with a reverse mortgage and you owe the balance or 95% of its value, never more
Families who inherit a home tied to a federally insured reverse mortgage face a hard deadline and a specific financial ceiling. When the borrower dies,...
Fannie Mae is giving some first-time buyers a $2,500 credit toward a down payment
First-time homebuyers earning very low incomes can now receive a $2,500 credit from Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to put toward a down payment or...
The 2026 reverse-mortgage limit rose to $1,249,125, letting older owners borrow more
Older homeowners who want to tap their home equity through a federally insured reverse mortgage can now borrow against a higher property value. The nationwide...
Fannie Mae is dropping its minimum credit score to help first-time buyers qualify
First-time homebuyers with limited credit histories stand to benefit from a federal policy shift that allows lenders to use a newer scoring model when selling...