According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.69% and 15-year rates are 6.01% as of August 6, 2026. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year.

Mortgage Refi Calculator

In the last few years, uncovering “good news” on home affordability has been challenging.

With record-high prices in place currently, and mortgage rates much higher than they were earlier this decade, that remains the case. So let’s take “wins” where we can find them.

One such win? Homes sold for less than their asking price in 38 of the 50 largest U.S. housing markets according to the latest monthly data from real estate giant Redfin.

So, if you can afford today’s prices, you at least have more room to negotiate with homeowners. (Some of the cities that are exceptions: San Francisco, New York and Boston.)

Nationally, just 25% of homes are selling above asking price, down from about 55% in 2022.

Here are the 10 cities where buyers are negotiating the biggest discounts from the listing price:

Higher mortgage rates combined with rising insurance premiums and property taxes have shrunk the pool of potential home buyers, which puts more pressure on sellers to negotiate.

In Florida and Texas, specifically, construction of single-family homes has boomed after the pandemic, leading to more supply – a win for buyers.

It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, Clark has always considered himself an incurable romantic, and for years, his stance on prenuptial agreements was clear: signing one felt like writing a contract for failure before the marriage even began. But looking at the reality that over half of marriages end in divorce, he realized his emotional roadblock was shortchanging the people listening to his advice.

The Team Clark Consumer Action Center is a free helpline that can help you navigate your money questions. Call 636-492-5275. Visit clark.com/cac for more information.