Mortgage rates are at least a half-point lower than one year ago. According to Freddie Mac, the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose five basis points this week to 6.22% — 57 basis points lower than one year ago. The 15-year rate was up nine basis points to 5.50%, a half-point lower than last year at this time.
“This week the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.22%,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “On a median-priced home, this could allow a homebuyer to save thousands annually compared to earlier this year, showing that affordability is slowly improving.”
Here are the current mortgage rates, according to the latest Zillow data:
30-year fixed: 6.11%
20-year fixed: 6.00%
15-year fixed: 5.62%
5/1 ARM: 6.47%
7/1 ARM: 6.36%
30-year VA: 5.82%
15-year VA: 5.35%
5/1 VA: 5.70%
Remember, these are the national averages and rounded to the nearest hundredth.
These are today’s mortgage refinance rates, according to the latest Zillow data:
30-year fixed: 6.27%
20-year fixed: 6.19%
15-year fixed: 5.77%
5/1 ARM: 6.70%
7/1 ARM: 6.85%
30-year VA: 5.97%
15-year VA: 5.88%
5/1 VA: 5.64%
Again, the numbers provided are national averages rounded to the nearest hundredth. Mortgage refinance rates are often higher than rates when you buy a house, although that’s not always the case.
Dig deeper into the 7 home refinance options.
Your mortgage rate plays a large role in how much your monthly payment will be. Use this mortgage calculator to see how your mortgage amount, rate, and term length will impact your monthly payments:
To get an even more detailed look at your potential monthly payment, use our Yahoo Finance mortgage calculator. It also factors in your homeowners insurance, property taxes, mortgage insurance, and HOA fees.
A mortgage interest rate is a fee for borrowing money from your lender, expressed as a percentage. You can choose from two types of rates: fixed or adjustable.
A fixed-rate mortgage locks in your rate for the entire life of your loan. For example, if you get a 30-year mortgage with a 6% interest rate, your rate will stay at 6% for the entire 30 years unless you refinance or sell.
An adjustable-rate mortgage locks in your rate for a predetermined amount of time and then changes it periodically. Let’s say you get a 7/1 ARM with an introductory rate of 6%. Your rate would be 6% for the first seven years, then the rate would increase or decrease once per year for the last 23 years of your term. Whether your rate goes up or down depends on several factors, such as the economy and housing market.
At the beginning of your mortgage term, most of your monthly payment goes toward interest. Your monthly payment toward mortgage principal and interest stays the same throughout the years — however, less and less of your payment goes toward interest, and more goes toward the mortgage principal or the amount you originally borrowed.
A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is a good choice if you want a lower mortgage payment and the predictability that comes with having a fixed rate. Just know that your rate will be higher than if you choose a shorter term, and you will pay significantly more in interest over the years.
You might like a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage if you want to pay off your home loan quickly and save money on interest. These shorter terms come with lower interest rates, and since you’re cutting your repayment time in half, you’ll save a lot in interest in the long run. But you’ll need to be sure you can comfortably afford the higher monthly payments that come with 15-year terms.
Typically, an adjustable-rate mortgage could be good if you plan to sell before the introductory rate period ends. Adjustable rates usually start lower than fixed rates, then your rate will change after a predetermined amount of time. However, 5/1 and 7/1 ARM rates have similar to (or even higher than) 30-year fixed rates recently. Before getting an ARM just for a lower rate, compare your rate options from term to term and lender to lender.
Mortgage rates are slightly lower since the beginning of October. However, home loan rates are a half-point lower than the same time one year ago.
Mortgage interest rates will continue to waver a bit for the rest of the year. The October forecasts from Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) predict that the 30-year rate will remain at 6% or higher for most of 2026, although Fannie Mae projects it will fall to 5.9% in Q4 2026.
According to Freddie Mac, the national average 30-year mortgage rate rose five basis points to 6.22% for the week, while the average 15-year mortgage rate moved higher by nine basis points to 5.50%.
According to its October forecast, the MBA expects the 30-year mortgage rate to be 6.4% by the end of the year and to remain there through 2026. Fannie Mae also predicts a 30-year rate of 6.4% by the end of 2025.
Mortgage rates are likely to remain very close to their current levels, according to most industry forecasts, with some predictions suggesting they may even be slightly lower.
