Mortgage rates today pulled the 30-year fixed down to 6.45%, a 5-basis-point drop from yesterday’s 6.50% and a welcome break in a week that has otherwise pushed rates steadily higher. The 15-year fixed sits at 5.77% and the 5/1 ARM at 6.34%, both landing near the lower end of this week’s 6.38%–6.63% range for the benchmark 30-year loan.
Mortgage Rates Today: What’s Trending
Today’s 5-basis-point drop matters more than it sounds. On a $400,000 loan, you are looking at $2,515 a month in principal and interest at 6.45%, which is a real reduction from what yesterday’s 6.50% would have cost you. That gap is what homebuyers are debating right now: lock in this dip or wait for more.
Mortgage rates today in context
Mortgage rates today sit meaningfully below where they were a year ago, when the 30-year averaged 6.68%. That year-over-year shift has pulled more buyers off the sidelines, and application volume has climbed as a result. Summer inventory is moving faster than many expected.
What to do right now
Your timeline is the deciding factor. If you are closing within 30 days, today’s rate is worth locking before Friday’s session closes and the weekend introduces fresh uncertainty. Rates can reverse 10 to 15 basis points on a single strong economic report, and you cannot lock on a Saturday.
Where Mortgage Rates Today Are Headed
Mortgage rates today sit at 6.45% on the 30-year fixed, down 5 basis points from yesterday’s 6.50%. That sounds like relief, but zoom out: the 30-day range runs from 6.38% to 6.63%, and the trend has been a steady climb. You are closer to the top of that band than the bottom.
Catalysts for mortgage rates today
The structural pressure comes from the spread between the 10-year Treasury yield and mortgage-backed securities pricing. Lenders price 30-year loans roughly 2.5 to 3 percentage points above the 10-year Treasury. When investors demand higher yields on mortgage bonds to compensate for prepayment risk, that spread widens and pushes your rate up independent of what the Fed does. Inflation expectations embedded in bond markets remain sticky, which keeps that spread elevated.
What is most likely this week
A further drop this week requires the 10-year Treasury to pull back toward 4.1% or below, easing pressure on MBS pricing. A climb back toward 6.60% becomes likely if Treasury yields push above 4.4%, which would widen the spread again. Given the 30-day uptrend, the path of least resistance is higher. Lock now.
News Moving Mortgage Rates Today
The Fed has held its benchmark rate at 3.50%–3.75% since last summer, and Chair Powell has given no signal that a cut is coming before September at the earliest. That posture keeps short-term borrowing costs elevated, which pushes the 10-year Treasury yield — the anchor for 30-year mortgage pricing — stubbornly above 4.2%. When Treasury yields stay high, lenders price 30-year loans accordingly, and the 6.45% you see today reflects exactly that pressure.
What’s moving mortgage rates today
This week’s calendar centers on the Consumer Price Index report for May, due Thursday morning. A reading above 3.0% on core CPI would likely push the 10-year yield higher within hours, pulling mortgage rates up with it. A softer print, say core CPI at 2.7% or below, could shave 10 to 15 basis points off rates by end of week. Given the Fed’s stated need for sustained disinflation before cutting, Thursday’s number carries more weight than any other release this month.
What Mortgage Rates Today Mean for Homebuyers
At 6.45%, your monthly principal and interest payment on a $400,000 loan comes to $2,515. Three months ago, that same loan at 7.00% ran roughly $186 more per month. That gap is real money — $2,232 over a year.
Lock or float at mortgage rates today
If your closing is within 45 days, lock now. Mortgage rates today can shift 20 to 30 basis points on a single jobs report, and you have no buffer to absorb that. If you have 60 or more days before closing, floating carries less risk — but only if your lender offers a float-down option, which lets you capture a lower rate if rates drop before closing without reopening your loan from scratch.
Smart shopping moves
Run your purchase-price targets at $2,515 first, then stress-test the same loan at 6.70%, which produces $2,581. That $400,000 scenario shows you exactly how much cushion you have. Shopping three or more lenders can shave 0.25% off your rate, worth roughly $65 a month on a $400,000 balance. Ask sellers for a $5,000 concession toward a temporary 2-1 buydown, which drops your rate by 2% in year one and 1% in year two, easing your early payments while you settle in.
Mortgage Rates Today for First-Time Homebuyers
At 6.45%, a $285,000 loan on a $300,000 purchase runs $1,792 per month in principal and interest. Add property taxes, homeowners insurance, and PMI (private mortgage insurance, required when you put less than 20% down), and your total housing payment lands closer to $2,400 to $2,515 monthly. Affordability is stretched at this rate: a $100,000 household income supports roughly $338,000 in purchase price, so budget carefully.
First-time buyers and mortgage rates today
FHA loans require just 3.5% down with a 580 credit score, making them the most accessible path for many first-time buyers. Veterans can use a VA loan with zero down and no PMI. USDA loans also offer zero down in eligible rural areas. On top of those, your state housing finance agency likely offers rates 0.25% to 0.75% below market, plus down-payment grants that can cover thousands at closing.
How to compete and win
Get a fully underwritten pre-approval, not a basic pre-qualification. Pre-qualification is a lender’s rough estimate based on what you tell them. Pre-approval means a human underwriter has reviewed your income, assets, and credit, which makes sellers take your offer seriously in a multiple-offer situation. The right home at the right price often matters more than waiting for a perfect rate.
What Mortgage Rates Today Mean for Refinancers
Anyone who locked in above 7% between 2022 and early 2024 has a genuine opening right now. Dropping from 7.25% to 6.45% on a $350,000 balance cuts your payment from $2,388 to $2,201, a difference of $187 every month. Over 30 years, that gap compounds to $67,275 in total interest.
Refinancing at mortgage rates today
Break-even math is straightforward. Closing costs typically run $3,000 to $6,000, so at $187 in monthly savings, you recover $3,000 in roughly 17 months and $6,000 in about 33 months. Shop at least three lenders, because mortgage rates today vary by 0.25% to 0.50% across lenders on identical loans, and that spread can shift your break-even by six months or more.
Cash-out versus rate-and-term
Cash-out refinancing makes sense if you are rolling 20%-plus credit card debt into a 6.45% mortgage rate. For vacations or home upgrades with no clear payoff, the math gets thin fast. Rate-and-term borrowers sitting above 7% should move now rather than wait for a drop that may not arrive before summer inventory tightens further.
Mortgage Rates Today for Real Estate Investors
Investor loans carry a rate surcharge of 0.50–0.75% above the primary market, landing you near 7.05% right now. On a $300,000 rental with 25% down, your $225,000 loan produces a monthly principal-and-interest payment of $1,504. That number is your floor — every underwriting conversation starts there.
Investors and mortgage rates today
Elevated rates do thin the competition. Owner-occupants who stretched at 6% are sidelined at 7%, which means fewer bidding wars on properties that pencil as rentals. Focus on gross rent multipliers below 12, cap rates above 6%, and cash-on-cash returns of at least 8% before you make an offer.
Alternative financing options
DSCR loans, which lenders underwrite on the property’s rental income rather than your W-2, are pricing between 7.25% and 7.75% right now. Fix-and-flip bridge money runs 10–12% on a short-term basis. Model every deal at those actual rates, and if the cash flow disappears, walk away — the deal does not work at current financing costs.
Quick Tips by Buyer Type
15-Year vs 30-Year: Which Is Right for You?
On a $350,000 loan, the 30-year at 6.45% runs $2,201 a month, while the 15-year at 5.77% costs $2,910 a month. The 15-year payment is higher, but you pay only $173,833 in total interest versus $442,267 on the 30-year. That gap of $268,434 is real money returned to your net worth instead of your lender’s ledger.
Who the 15-year fits
The 15-year at 5.77% is a powerful wealth-building tool, but it fits a specific borrower. You need stable income, a fully funded emergency reserve, and ideally a career past its peak earning years so the higher payment carries no real strain. For that borrower, the rate spread alone, 68 basis points below the 30-year, makes the shorter loan a straightforward call.
Why most pick the 30-year
For most first-time buyers stretching to close on a home, the 30-year is almost always the more prudent choice. The lower monthly payment preserves cash flow for repairs, retirement contributions, and life. One extra principal payment each year compresses your payoff timeline and captures much of the interest savings, without locking you into an obligation you cannot reduce when income dips.
Mortgage Programs & Assistance
FHA loans let you buy with 3.5% down if your credit score is 580 or above, or 10% down if your score falls between 500 and 579. Because the federal government insures these loans, lenders accept less risk and typically price FHA rates 0.2–0.3% below conventional. At today’s 6.45% conventional rate, that puts many FHA borrowers closer to 6.15–6.25%.
VA and USDA advantages
VA and USDA loans go even further. VA loans require zero down payment and carry no private mortgage insurance, with rates running 0.25–0.50% below conventional — a meaningful gap on a $350,000 purchase. USDA loans also require no down payment in eligible rural and suburban areas, which cover far more zip codes than most buyers realize. Both programs are chronically underused.
State and local programs
State housing finance agencies add another layer most buyers ignore. Many offer rates 0.25–0.75% below the going market rate, plus down-payment assistance grants, with income limits that frequently extend to $120,000 or higher. Before you decide that 6.45% puts a home out of reach, spend an hour on your state agency’s website — the savings can change the math entirely.
Rate Lock Tips
Mortgage Rates Today: The Bottom Line
Mortgage rates today dropped 5 basis points, from 6.50% yesterday to 6.45%. That puts you near the lower end of the 30-day range of 6.38% to 6.63%, which is a better entry point than most buyers got over the past month. If you are closing within 30 to 45 days, lock now. If your closing is 60 or more days out, ask your lender about a float-down option that lets you capture a lower rate if conditions improve.
Mortgage rates today: your move
Your next step depends on where you stand. Homebuyers should get a formal loan estimate today and model the payment at 6.45%, which works out to $2,515 on a $400,000 loan. Refinancers carrying a rate above 7% should run a break-even calculation now, dividing closing costs by the monthly savings to see how fast the refi pays for itself. Investors need to stress-test their deals at current rates and hold the line on purchase price, not chase yield by loosening underwriting.
What to watch this week
The biggest rate mover this week is the monthly jobs report. A strong number, say payrolls above 200,000, would push yields higher and likely lift mortgage rates back toward the top of that 6.38% to 6.63% range. A weak print below 150,000 could pull rates closer to the floor. Stay in contact with your lender and make sure you understand your lock window before any key data releases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are mortgage rates today for a 30-year fixed?
Mortgage rates today for a 30-year fixed average 6.45%. Rates vary by lender and depend on factors like credit score, down payment, and loan amount.
What are mortgage rates today for a 15-year fixed?
Mortgage rates today for a 15-year fixed average 5.77%. This shorter term typically offers lower rates but higher monthly payments.
Should I lock in mortgage rates today?
Whether to lock in mortgage rates today depends on your timeline and risk tolerance. With 30-year rates at 6.45%, consider locking if you’re closing within 30-60 days and are comfortable with current rates.
How do I get the best mortgage rates today?
To get the best mortgage rates today, compare quotes from at least 3 lenders, lock your rate when you’re comfortable, and improve your credit score before applying. With current 30-year rates at 6.45%, even a 0.25% difference saves thousands over the life of the loan.
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Sources & further reading: Optimal Blue (OBMMI) via FRED, the Federal Reserve, and Freddie Mac PMMS.














