Data released Wednesday showed the average U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose
5 bps in the week ended July 31 to 6.81%, a one-year high. The rate had fallen
to a 2022-era low in late February before the Iran war broke out; subsequent
conflict-driven energy price gains and higher inflation fears have pushed rates
up. Mortgage demand weakened: MBA's purchase index fell 3.6% week-on-week to a
five-month low, while the refinance index dropped 1.9% to its lowest since
mid-2025.