US mortgages are putting the brakes on the housing market
Borrowing costs in the US are rising again, and the effect is already evident in the market. The average interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 6.71 per cent at the start of September 2026. At the same time, the number of pending sales in August fell compared with the previous year.
The latest rise in interest rates comes at a time when the recovery in the US housing market was already fragile. Freddie Mac reported an average rate of 6.71 per cent for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages on 3 September 2026, up from 6.66 per cent the previous week. This is the highest level since the end of July 2025.
This marks a shift in an important leading indicator. According to August data from Realtor.com, pending sales were 0.2 per cent below the previous year’s figure. It was the first decline since November 2025. For property owners, developers and estate agents, this is more than just a statistical setback, as higher financing costs directly weigh on the likelihood of a sale and thus on market liquidity.
More expensive borrowing immediately dampens demand
The link is particularly direct in the US, as mortgage rates are closely tied to the capital market. The yield on ten-year US government bonds rose to around 4.8 per cent in early September, reaching its highest level since November 2023. Rising bond yields therefore make not only government borrowing more expensive, but also home ownership.
Realtor.com therefore regards August as a break from a previously more stable phase. At the start of the year, falling or flat mortgage rates had given the market some breathing space. Now the pressure is returning. If buyers pull out or postpone decisions due to higher monthly repayments, selling times will lengthen and price corrections will become more likely.
A signal extending far beyond the US housing market
For the property sector, this development is particularly relevant as a capital market signal. If long-term yields become entrenched at high levels, financing costs rise across the entire value chain. In the US, this affects the housing market first and foremost, but it can also put pressure on project costing, refinancing and pricing for interest-rate-sensitive property investments.
The main question now is whether mortgage rates will fall again in September. Jake Krimmel of Realtor.com believes a noticeable easing is necessary for demand to pick up again in the autumn. If the rate remains close to 7 per cent, the US housing market is likely to enter the final stretch of the year on a weak note.