‘I’d love to fire his ass,’ Trump says of Fed Chair Jerome Powell

The president jokingly told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that his job is also on the line if interest rates don’t come down, as poll shows inflation will be a key issue in 2026 midterm elections. Continue reading

Rebounding mortgage rates dampen homebuyers’ appetites

After hitting a 2025 low on Oct. 28, mortgage rates continue to rise as hopes dim for a December Fed rate cut. Futures market investors on Wednesday saw only a 34 percent chance of a Dec. 10 rate cut, down from 94 percent in October. Continue reading

Don’t merge Fannie and Freddie, says their biggest investor

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman floats plan to relist mortgage giants on the New York Stock Exchange this year, but says it’s too soon for the government to sell any of its stake. Continue reading

Trump’s 50-year mortgage is ‘a big nothingburger’ for homebuyers

The Trump administration says it’s also looking at assumable mortgages and “ways to give relief” on 5- and 10-year mortgages, after mortgage and financial planning experts pan 50-year mortgages as a bad deal for homebuyers. Continue reading

New Fannie, Freddie housing goals may hurt working families

A coalition of groups has warned that the Trump administration’s goals for the mortgage giants will leave up to 177,000 lower income homebuyers looking elsewhere for a loan. Continue reading

Fannie and Freddie build net worths for planned Q2 2026 public offering

For the real estate and mortgage industries, it remains to be seen how the new course the Trump administration has set for Fannie and Freddie will impact homebuyers. Continue reading

Mortgage rates spike as Powell warns December rate cut is iffy

After the Federal Reserve approved the second rate cut of the year, mortgage rates moved in the opposite direction as investors who fund most home loans worry about inflation. Continue reading

Lower mortgage rates spur homebuyers, but mostly refis

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages hit another 2025 low on Tuesday, dropping to 6.12 percent, nearly a full percentage point lower than January. Rates now have less room to come down. Continue reading

Mortgage rates just hit a new 2025 low. They might be stuck there.

MBA forecasts rates will probably stay right where they are now in 2026, as investors have already priced in future Fed rate cuts. But look for three years of steady growth in home sales ahead. Continue reading

Mortgage rates ebb as Powell hints at end of ‘quantitative tightening’

Fed chair dismisses suggestion that central bank could resume its purchases of mortgage-backed securities to bring down mortgage rates and improve housing affordability. Continue reading