The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. climbed to its highest level in eight weeks, a setback for home shoppers in the midst of the spring homebuying season.

Springtime home shoppers may be feeling the impact of an intensifying trade war. The average rate on a standard, 30-year fixed mortgage was 6.83% in the week ending April 17, up from 6.62% a week ago, mortgage financing provider Freddie Mac said Thursday. That’s the largest one-week jump in mortgage rates in nearly a year.

Mortgage rates in the US rose for the first time in four weeks, posting the biggest weekly jump since April 2024.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been referred for federal criminal prosecution for alleged mortgage fraud related to a Virginia home and a New York property. William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA),

The New York Attorney General has said the allegations are nothing more than "retaliation" for the actions she has taken against President Donald Trump.