Mortgage delinquencies rose in ICE’s August First Look

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The August move gives loan officers a fresh borrower-retention and servicing-risk signal as fewer homeowners appear to be paying off loans early.

Mortgage delinquencies moved higher in August, with ICE’s First Look showing the delinquency rate up 14 basis points to 3.53%, according to a HousingWire report published September 28, 2026. The same report said prepayments fell to 0.64%, the lowest level in 17 months.

For mortgage professionals, the combination matters because it points to two different borrower behaviors at once: more loans showing payment stress, and fewer borrowers paying off existing mortgages early. That can affect retention strategy, referral-partner conversations, and how producers read the health of their past-client database.

Key takeaways

• ICE’s August First Look showed mortgage delinquencies up 14 basis points to 3.53%, according to HousingWire.
• The reported prepayment rate fell to 0.64%, the lowest level in 17 months.
• Lower prepayments can signal fewer refinance payoffs and less borrower churn, while higher delinquencies deserve attention in servicing and retention conversations.
• The supplied source did not confirm borrower segments, geography, loan type, or the reason for the monthly delinquency increase.

Sources

• HousingWire — ICE First Look shows delinquencies up, prepayments down in August

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