EconomyBy RISE Community editors
What would need to happen for mortgage rates to fall below 7% by the holidays
HousingWire says mortgage rates could slip below 7% during the 2026 holidays if oil, tariffs, AI and jobs data line up.
Key facts
- Mortgage spreads rose to 2.21% last week from 2.12% the week before, compared with a historical range of 1.60% to 1.80%.
- Purchase applications were down 4% week to week and down 16% year over year.
- Mortgage rates moved from 6.64% to 7.60% since mid-July, which HousingWire says has weighed on housing demand.
- Housing inventory is up 5.32% year over year.
- HousingWire lists four conditions for rates under 7%: an end to the Iran conflict with lower oil prices, weakness in the AI build-out, no escalation in the trade war, and softer economic and labor data.
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Read the original at HousingWire (opens in a new tab)
Source: Can mortgage rates get under 7% for the holidays? — HousingWire, October 17, 2026. Summary and commentary by RISE Community; read the full story at the source.
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