The average mortgage interest rate on a 30-year mortgage declined to 5.99% on December 17, 2025, according to Zillow. The median interest rate on a 15-year mortgage is 5.37%. With both options under 5% now, buyers may find today's rates low enough to justify re-entering the homebuying market.

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage edged lower this week, staying relatively close to its low for the year.

Mortgage rates stay above 6% as Fed policy is set to shift, with spreads still historically wide and homebuyer affordability slowly improving.

Locking in one of today's lower mortgage rates may make sense, experts say, but there are some items to know first.

With average homes at $360,727 now, 5% mortgage rates in 2026 could push prices to $383K-$386K as 5.5M+ more buyers qualify, NAR data shows.

Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) allow homeowners to tap into the value of their homes.  A home equity loan is a fixed-rate, lump-sum loan that allows homeowners to borrow up to 85% of their home's value and pay that amount back in monthly installments.

There's good and bad news for home shoppers hoping for lower mortgage rates in 2026 — they're likely to fall more in the new year but shouldn't drop much below 6.0%, if they reach that. But the decrease may help you afford a home .