The average contract rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages on conforming loans of $806,500 or less in the US declined to 6.17% in the week ended February 13, 2026 — the lowest level in four weeks — down from 6.21% in each of the previous two weeks. Borrowing costs followed Treasury yields, which “ended the week lower as weaker data on retail sales and home sales outweighed better-than-expected readings on the January job market,” said Joel Kan, the MBA’s vice president.
In response, overall mortgage applications rose 2.8%, marking their first increase in four weeks. Refinancing activity led the gains, surging 7.1% and rising across all loan categories, while applications to purchase homes fell 2.7%.
