Freddie Mac reported that in the first full week of 2026, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage stood at 6.16%, up marginally from 6.15% the prior week but down sharply from 6.93% a year earlier. The 15-year fixed rate rose to 5.46% from 5.44% week-over-week, versus 6.14% twelve months ago. Chief Economist Sam Khater noted that solid economic growth coupled with these rates has spurred a more than 20% year-over-year jump in purchase applications, reflecting renewed for-sale residential momentum and improved housing affordability metrics for credit-worthy borrowers making 20% down payments.

In 2025 Freddie Mac’s multifamily arm issued a record $68 billion in securities, including $32.6 billion in K-Deals and an unprecedented $28.1 billion in Multi-PC offerings, with $1.4 billion of those as Freddie-initiated Giant PCs. Additional risk-transfer issuances comprised $2.3 billion in SB-Deals, $1.5 billion in M- and ML-Deals, $2.4 billion in Q-Deals, $837 million in MSCR notes, $848 million in multifamily credit insurance pools, and $645 million in third-party Giant PCs. These figures bring total multifamily securities settled since 2009 to $805 billion, with more than 90% of funded rental units affordable to families earning up to 120% of area median income.