Today's Mortgage Rates - 04/25/2025

Personalize the results below to get your best mortgage rate

Personalize your quotes and see mortgage rates just for you.

 

LOADING OFFERS...

Rates Ease, A Little

Mortgage rates edged lower this week, with larger declines as fixed-rate periods shrank.

Freddie Mac reported today that the average offered interest rate for a conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) stepped two basis points lower (0.02%), easing to 6.81%. A somewhat larger decline was expected, but the yields that influence long-term rates have whipsawed lately.

Average offered rates for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped back by a bit more, posting a nine basis point (0.09%) slide over the last seven days to land at 5.94%. returning the most popular shorter-term mortgage to the middle of a four-week range.

At present, a 5/1 ARM might offer a homebuyer a lower-cost alternative to a long-term fixed-rate mortgage, and the difference in rate between 30-year FRMs and 5-year hybrid ARMs widened a little this week again. The Mortgage Bankers Association said that the initial fixed interest rate on a hybrid 5-year ARM fell by ten basis points (0.10%) to 6.01%, expanding the gap in rate compared to a 30-year FRM expanded to eighty basis points (0.80%). On a $300,000 mortgage, a borrower using this ARM would see a $157 lower payment per month and would save more than $12,000 in interest cost over the first five years of the loan.

Although the path is by no means smooth, long-term yields have retreated somewhat from recent highs. At least for the moment, the White House has said some soothing things about the prospects for lower tariffs on China, which has helped stock markets to rally. Should lower levies be imposed, this would put less upward pressure on prices over time, and less threat of inflation helped bond yields to decline a bit.

Perhaps as important to bonds is that the President has "walked back" threats to fire Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. After issuing several threats over the last week that unsettled investors and caused a fresh rise in bond yields, the President said on Tuesday that "I have no intention of firing" the Fed Chair. This cheered wary investors, and the important yield on the 10-year Treasury retraced at least part of the early-week increase.

The economy is also cooling, or has cooled. The Fed's latest regional survey of economic conditions (aka "Beige Book") said of the 12 Fed Districts that "Just five saw slight growth, three noted activity was relatively unchanged, and the remaining four reported slight to modest declines." A cooler economy can help attenuate rising price pressures, and perhaps a combination of slower growth and less of an increase in inflation may allow the Fed to cut rates later this year. That said, a lot can (and likely will) happen between now and then. The next Fed meeting comes in less than two weeks' time.

Mortgage rates have essentially stabilized for the moment, perhaps with a slight downward bias. As such, odds favor (for now) slightly lower mortgage rates in the markets in the coming few days.

Each week in HSH's MarketTrends newsletter, we track and discuss economic conditions that affect mortgage rates and their impact on housing markets and consumers. Read the most recent edition of MarketTrends or subscribe for email delivery.

Week 30-year-Fixed 15-year-Fixed
04/24 6.810% 5.940%
04/17 6.830% 6.030%
04/10 6.620% 5.820%
04/03 6.640% 5.820%
03/27 6.650% 5.890%
03/20 6.670% 5.830%
03/13 6.650% 5.800%
03/06 6.630% 5.790%
02/27 6.760% 5.940%
02/20 6.850% 6.040%
02/13 6.870% 6.090%
02/06 6.890% 6.050%

Mortgage Choices at a Glance

Loan type/terms Fixed 30 years Fixed 15 years/
20 Years
Hybrid ARM Traditional ARM Balloon Mortgage
Rate changes
  • Never; Fully fixed for entire term
  • Never; Fully fixed for entire term
  • Usually after fixed period of 3, 5, 7 or 10 years
  • After that, annual change typical
  • Fully variable
  • Typically changing at one-year intervals
  • Some have shorter change intervals
  • Never; Fully fixed for entire term
Benefits
  • Low, stable payment
  • Usually easiest qualification
  • Stable payments
  • Builds equity faster
  • Lower total interest costs than 30-year term
  • Lower rates than fully fixed-rate mortgage
  • Can sometimes borrow larger loan amount for same income
  • Can have lowest interest rates
  • Qualification may not depend upon today's interest rate
  • Often has lower interest rate/monthly payment over balloon period than fixed rate
  • Similar to hybrid ARM
Drawbacks/Risks
  • Can have highest total interest cost over time
  • User may "buy" more rate stability than actually needed, increasing cost
  • Requires higher income to qualify
  • Less affordable monthly payment
  • Funds commited to payment cannot be used elsewhere
  • Stable payment for a number of years, then unpredictable
  • Rates can jump by as much as 6 percentage points at first adjustment
  • Payments fluctuate at each rate change
  • Unpredictable, rates can change as much as 2 percentage points at each adjustment
  • Loan fully due and payable when balloon period ends
  • Must be paid off or refinanced in unknown market conditions
Alternative strategy
  • Consider Hybrid ARM with appropriate fixed period
  • Consider 30-year term and prepaying loan to preserve cash-flow flexibility
  • Consider Fixed rate mortgage or longest possible fixed period, if loan hold period not known
  • Consider Hybrid ARM to ameliorate rate and payment risks for a given period
  • Consider Hybrid ARM to ensure continued loan availability
These may be useful for...
  • Purchasing a home
  • First-time homebuyers
  • Refinancing to improve cash flow/lower payment
  • Refinancing to lower total interest cost
  • Retiring mortgage more quickly
  • Building or rebuilding equity more quickly
  • Purchasing or refinancing when time horizon is seven years or shorter, and where borrower can handle increase in monthly payments
  • Purchasing or refinancing when interest rates are near top of cycle, and are likely to fall, or sale or refinance is anticipated within three years
  • Purchasing or refinancing when time horizon is three years or longer and home will be sold prior to end of balloon period
Consider if
  • Buying or refinancing a home and planning on owning for longer than 10 years
  • Buying second home
  • Refinancing to build equity
  • Paying off mortgage before life event (retirement, etc)
  • Buying a home and expect to move before fixed period ends, or know income will rise to offset payment risk, even in worst-case scenario
  • Buying or refinancing when income can handle frequent payment changes and worst-case scenario for rates over a four-year period
  • Buying a home and expect to move before balloon period ends, or have resources to pay off mortgage if refinance not available
When shopping, ask about
  • "Full cost" vs. "No cost" refinances, prepaying loan to shorten term if desired
  • If 20-year term makes payment too high, whether 25-year term is available
  • Interest rate caps, for first and subsequent adjustments, worst-case scenario
  • A history of the Index the loan is keyed off, margin and caps
  • Whether or not there is any built-in refinancing option when the balloon period ends
Useful tools & resources

Latest Mortgage Rate Analysis

HSH's longer-range outlook for mortgage rates, where we review our last forecast,discuss current market influences and provide our expectations for mortgage rates over the next nine weeks.

Mortgage Calculators

Mortgage rates and more

Add to Homescreen?
X
X
Install this web app on your phone :tap and then Add to homescreen