{"id":136714,"date":"2026-07-09T06:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T10:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/?p=136714"},"modified":"2026-07-08T17:10:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T21:10:25","slug":"optimal-blue-report-mortgage-demand-strengthens-as-purchase-activity-and-pull-through-rebound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/optimal-blue-report-mortgage-demand-strengthens-as-purchase-activity-and-pull-through-rebound\/","title":{"rendered":"Optimal Blue report: Mortgage demand strengthens as purchase activity and pull-through rebound"},"content":{"rendered":"

PLANO, Texas, July 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Optimal Blue<\/a> today released its June 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found that mortgage activity strengthened month over month (MoM), with purchase lock volume climbing to its highest level since early spring and pull-through rates rebounding across both purchase and refinance pipelines. Total rate-lock volume rose 10% MoM and 15% year over year (YoY). June also extended recent shifts in product mix, with non-conforming lending reaching its highest share in several years as conforming volume remained below 49% for the second consecutive month.<\/p>\n

\"Optimal
Image caption: Optimal Blue\u2019s June 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mortgage rates were mixed in June. The Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices (OBMMI) 30-year conforming fixed rate, the benchmark for CME Group\u2019s Mortgage Rate futures, edged up 1 basis point (bp) MoM to 6.45%, remaining 22 bps lower than June 2025. The 10-year Treasury yield closed the month at 4.44%, down 1 bp MoM, while the spread between the 10-year Treasury and the OBMMI 30-year conforming rate widened to 201 bps.<\/p>\n

“June wasn\u2019t defined by a single headline number. Purchase demand strengthened, refinance activity held up and pull-through improved after softening in May,” said Mike Vough, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Optimal Blue. \u201cTogether, those trends point to a market that is battle tested and that has adapted to a higher-for-longer rate environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the secondary side, lenders continued to balance execution options as agency mortgage-backed security (MBS) executions declined for the second consecutive month to 40% of funded loan sales, while best-efforts activity increased to 3%. Execution spreads also moved in different directions, with conventional 30-year best-efforts-to-mandatory spreads tightening to 31 bps and government 30-year spreads widening to 18 bps. Mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) for conforming 30-year loans declined to 1.33% in June.<\/p>\n

“We saw lenders continue to fine-tune execution strategy in June,” Vough said. “Agency MBS executions declined again while best-efforts activity increased showing that lenders are evaluating all potential loan sale options, and best efforts-mandatory pricing spreads moved in opposite directions for conventional and government loans. It shows lenders must continue to evaluate execution opportunities on a product-by-product basis.”<\/p>\n

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE MARKET ADVANTAGE REPORT, DERIVED FROM DIRECT-SOURCE MORTGAGE LOCK AND SECONDARY MARKET DATA, INCLUDE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Volume trends and market composition<\/strong><\/p>\n