Residential construction was mixed in August as housing starts recovered in the single-family sector, while building permits declined from July levels and completions fell sharply. The latest Census Bureau data points to continued unevenness in residential construction, with builders pulling back somewhat on new authorizations even as single-family construction picked up. Privately owned housing starts fell 2.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.275 million , down 1.2% from the August 2025 pace. Single-family starts, however, increased 7.6% to 918k , while starts for buildings containing five units or more fell to 344k . Building permits moved in the opposite direction, declining 2.7% from July to an annual rate of 1.394 million , though they remained 3.5% above the August 2025 rate. Single-family authorizations fell 1.8% to 878k , while permits for buildings containing five units or more came in at 467k . The August data underscores the uneven pace of residential construction. Single-family starts rebounded after falling in July, while permits softened modestly. The pullback in multi-family starts was more pronounced, although that segment can be considerably more volatile from month to month. Housing completions also declined sharply in August, falling 11.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.128 million , down 27.1% from a year earlier. Single-family completions decreased 10.4% to 816k , while completions for buildings containing five units or more came in at 302k .

September 18, 2026 Download our Mobile App: Download our Mobile App: 30 Yr. Fixed 7.20% +0.01%   5.99% 7.24% 15 Yr. Fixed 6.83% +0.02%   5.55% 6.84% 30 Yr. Jumbo 7.36% +0.01%   6.1% 7.4% Compare Mortgage Rates from Local Lenders for Sep 18, 2026 Mortgage Rates Only Modestly Higher Despite Bond Market Losses Fri, Sep 18, 2026 4:26PM We'd be the first to remind you that mortgage rates are primarily determined by trading levels in the bond market--specifically those for mortgage-backed securities (MBS). That said, there are days where rates don't do exactly what MBS suggest. Today was one of them. According to the bond market, mortgage rates should have been much higher than they were yesterday. As it stands, the average lender was just barely higher.  The discrepancy comes down to the volatility experienced earlier in the week. Lenders have some latitude when it comes to setting mortgage rates. If the underlying mar... (read more) Mortgage News Daily Rate Change Points 30 Yr. Fixed 7.20% +0.01 0.00 15 Yr. Fixed 6.83% +0.02 0.00 30 Yr. FHA 6.81% 0.00 0.00 30 Yr. Jumbo 7.36% +0.01 0.00 7/6 SOFR ARM 6.75% +0.05 0.00 30 Yr. VA 6.82% -0.01 0.00 Updates Daily - Last Update: 9/18 Freddie Mac Rate Change Points 30 Yr. Fixed 6.95% +0.19 0.00 15 Yr. Fixed 6.26% +0.17 0.00 Updates Weekly - Last Update: 9/17 Mortgage Bankers Assoc. 30 Yr. Fixed 6.97% +0.12 0.72 15 Yr. Fixed 6.30% +0.13 0.98 30 Yr. Jumbo 7.03% +0.29 0.59 Updates Weekly - Last Update: 9/16 UMBS 30YR 6.0 99.69 -0.27   99.43 102.75 UMBS 30YR 6.5 101.94 -0.14   101.59 104.00 10 YR Treasury 4.993 +0.060   3.948 5.005 Why Are Bonds Selling Today? Fri, Sep 18, 2026 9:33AM After Thursday's rather triumphant trading session in the bond market, today's moderate losses may be unpleasant or surprising to some. But they should be neither. Thursday was a bit exuberant in a good way, and Fridays often see position squaring. A bit of a pull-back is not only survivable but arguably more logical this morning, especially with oil pr... (read more) MBS Price Change UMBS 5.5 97.19 -0.41 UMBS 6.0 99.69 -0.27 UMBS 6.5 101.94 -0.14 GNMA 5.5 97.38 -0.44 GNMA 6.0 99.79 -0.23 GNMA 6.5 101.60 -0.17 Pricing as of: 9/18 6:45PM EST US Treasury Yield Change 2 YR Treasury 4.743 +0.069 5 YR Treasury 4.855 +0.068 7 YR Treasury 4.918 +0.060 10 YR Treasury 4.993 +0.060 30 YR Treasury 5.323 +0.034 Pricing as of: 9/18 6:45PM EST Other News More Mixed Results in Residential Construction Report Fri, Sep 18, 2026 3:47PM Residential construction was mixed in August as housing starts recovered in the single-family sector, while building permits declined from July levels and completions fell sharply. The latest Census Bureau data points to continued unevenness in residential construction, with builders pulling back somewhat on new authorizations even as single-family construct... (read more) Pending Sales Rebound Slightly as Regional Results Diverge Fri, Sep 18, 2026 3:55PM Pending home sales edged higher in August as gains in the South and West offset declines in the Northeast and Midwest. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), which tracks signed contracts on existing homes, increased 0.3% from July but was down 4.7% from a year earlier. The modest increase came despite another per... (read more) Webcasts, HELOC, AI Products; Product and Conv. Conforming News; Shared Equity Report Fri, Sep 18, 2026 10:59AM A big thrust by many lenders and originators is helping homeowners use the equity in their home or offering a shared equity product. And why not: there’s $36 trillion in home equity out there. And in an industry where we’ll be lucky to hit $2 trillion this year, it’s a juicy target. Jim Riccitelli, CEO of Unlock Technologies, sent me a recent study titled, “... (read more) Latest Video Former Boston Fed Pres. Eric Rosengren: Appropriate to have another 25 bps ... Fmr. Treasury Secretary Lew: Bond buybacks won't fundamentally change the d... Former Dallas Fed Pres. Robert Kaplan: A couple of rate hikes is appropriat... Pending home sales rises 0.3% in August Around the Web Investing Live Japan conducted an FX rate check earlier - report Federal Reserve Bowman - Initial Findings from Independent Review of Silicon Valley Bank Investing Live US industrial production 0.0% versus 0.3% expected Investing Live Kansas City Fed's Schmid: recent data suggest inflation trending above 3% The Conference Board Leading Economic Index decreased by 0.1%, first monthly decline since March Eye on Housing State-Level Employment Situation: August 2026 NAR NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 0.3% Increase in August Realtor.com Single-Family Home Construction Jumps Unexpectedly in August Investing Live Former Atlanta Fed President: The inflation portion of the Fed mandate is far more concerning CNBC Treasury yields little changed as volatile week wraps up CNBC Treasury yields move lower after Fed kicks off hiking cycle Investing Live US initial jobless claims come in at 196K vs 208K estimate Investing Live US August housing starts 1.275m vs 1.309m expected

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