Residential construction pulled back in July as housing starts and completions declined from June levels, while building permits rebounded. The latest Census Bureau data suggests builders remained cautious about active construction, even as the increase in permits pointed to somewhat stronger activity ahead. Privately owned housing starts fell 12.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.239 million , down 13.5% from the July 2025 pace. Single-family starts declined 9.9% to 808k , while starts for buildings containing five units or more fell to 421k . Building permits reversed course as well, increasing 5.0% from June to an annual rate of 1.443 million , and were 3.1% above the July 2025 rate. Single-family authorizations rose 2.5% to 894k , while permits for buildings containing five units or more increased to 490k . The divergence between permits and starts highlights the uneven pace of residential construction. After June's strong rebound in starts, activity pulled back in July, particularly in the single-family sector. At the same time, the increase in permits suggests builders were still authorizing new projects despite the weaker pace of actual construction. Multi-family starts remain in an uptrend, but they tend to lag major changes in single family starts by roughly 6 months.

August 21, 2026 Download our Mobile App: Download our Mobile App: 30 Yr. Fixed 6.77% +0.01%   5.99% 6.85% 15 Yr. Fixed 6.61% +0.31%   5.55% 6.61% 30 Yr. Jumbo 6.88% +0.01%   6.1% 6.92% Compare Mortgage Rates from Local Lenders for Aug 21, 2026 Mortgage Rates Drift Modestly Higher Fri, Aug 21, 2026 2:35PM For all practical purposes, Friday's mortgage rates were unchanged versus Thursday's, but if we're splitting hairs, the average lender rose 0.01% to 6.77% for a top tier 30yr fixed.  While many news outlets continue focusing on the mid-week announcement regarding Treasury's bond buyback program, today's bond market volatility was unrelated. Current levels are close to where they were before Wednesday's announcement and that makes sense to anyone who Wednesday's market reaction as 'overdone.'  The upcoming week offers much more economic data in addition to potentially relevant comme... (read more) Mortgage News Daily Rate Change Points 30 Yr. Fixed 6.77% +0.01 0.00 15 Yr. Fixed 6.61% +0.31 0.00 30 Yr. FHA 6.33% +0.02 0.00 30 Yr. Jumbo 6.88% +0.01 0.00 7/6 SOFR ARM 6.36% 0.00 0.00 30 Yr. VA 6.35% +0.02 0.00 Updates Daily - Last Update: 8/21 Freddie Mac Rate Change Points 30 Yr. Fixed 6.65% -0.02 0.00 15 Yr. Fixed 5.95% -0.01 0.00 Updates Weekly - Last Update: 8/20 Mortgage Bankers Assoc. 30 Yr. Fixed 6.77% 0.00 0.65 15 Yr. Fixed 6.08% -0.02 0.82 30 Yr. Jumbo 6.71% +0.03 0.48 Updates Weekly - Last Update: 8/19 UMBS 30YR 5.5 99.13 -0.13   98.89 101.64 UMBS 30YR 6.0 101.23 -0.09   101.05 102.75 10 YR Treasury 4.732 +0.031   3.948 4.736 Summertime Data-Free Friday Mystery Box Fri, Aug 21, 2026 9:29AM Bonds were a hair stronger overnight and are now a hair weaker at 9:15am ET. They may flip back and forth a few more times before the close. Ultimately, data-free summertime Fridays are fairly random events. If no big players have big intentions, they can fizzle sideways. But due to lower participation, if big trades come through, they can have a bigger impa... (read more) MBS Price Change UMBS 5.0 96.67 -0.18 UMBS 5.5 99.13 -0.13 UMBS 6.0 101.23 -0.09 GNMA 5.0 97.02 -0.17 GNMA 5.5 99.41 -0.13 GNMA 6.0 101.36 -0.15 Pricing as of: 8/21 7:17PM EST US Treasury Yield Change 2 YR Treasury 4.232 +0.038 5 YR Treasury 4.423 +0.038 7 YR Treasury 4.566 +0.029 10 YR Treasury 4.732 +0.031 30 YR Treasury 5.273 +0.024 Pricing as of: 8/21 7:17PM EST Other News Housing Starts Drop in July as Permits Point to Stronger Future Activity Fri, Aug 21, 2026 2:21PM Residential construction pulled back in July as housing starts and completions declined from June levels, while building permits rebounded. The latest Census Bureau data suggests builders remained cautious about active construction, even as the increase in permits pointed to somewhat stronger activity ahead. Privately owned housing starts fell 12.4% to a ... (read more) Pending Home Sales Slip 2.3% in July Fri, Aug 21, 2026 2:14PM Pending home sales declined again in July as elevated mortgage rates and record-high home prices continued to weigh on buyer demand. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), which tracks signed contracts on existing homes, fell 2.3% from June and was down 2.2% from a year earlier, reaching its lowest level since Januar... (read more) AI Production, Product Launch, Processing Tools; Webcasts; Lender M&A; LO Tips Fri, Aug 21, 2026 11:52AM LOs tell me that they are counseling potential borrowers. “If you’re in the market for a home, focus on the things you can control. Save for your down payment which can be less than 20 percent, but the more you can put down, the less you have to borrow and the lower your monthly payments. Consider your priorities. Can you live further from the city and save ... (read more) Latest Video Treasury announces upscaled buyback operation for longer-term debt, sending... Fed officials saw need for rate hike if inflation doesn't cool, minutes sho... S&P Global Flash Manufacturing PMI comes in at 53.2 in August Leading economic indicators rise 0.2% in July, better than estimates Around the Web Eye on Housing Second Quarter Declines for Single-Family Built-to-Rent BLS Import prices up 5.9 percent over the year ended July 2026 Eye on Housing Housing Affordability Worsens on Higher Mortgage Rates CNBC Oil prices head for second weekly rise as U.S. vows to turn up economic pressure on Iran Federal Reserve FEDS Paper: Beyond the Unemployment Rate: A Structural LaborMarket Indicator Investing Live S&P Global manufacturing PMI flash estimate for August 53.2 versus 53.9 estimate Investing Live Fed's Musalem says hiking rates now could save more aggressive action later Investing Live Fed's Daly doesn't see evidence calling for pre-emptive rate hikes, policy in good place CNBC Bessent says Treasury buyback operation could be more than $4 billion CNBC Longer-dated Treasury yields rise as Bessent's bond buyback rally fizzles out Philadelphia Fed US August Philly Fed business index +47.4 vs +25.0 expected Investing Live US initial jobless claims 206K vs 210K expected Eye on Housing Short-Term Townhouse Construction Weakness

© 2026  Mortgage News Daily, LLC. | 19701 Bethel Church Rd. | Cornelius, NC 28031 Interest rates displayed are national averages and for informational purposes only. Actual rates from lenders may vary based on several factors including, but not limited to, credit worthiness, ability to replay, credit score, down payment, loan term, etc. This email was sent to: [recipientemail]. Go here to UNSUBSCRIBE from this email.