Mortgage rates saw a slight retreat this week, with the average rate on 30-year fixed home loans edging down to 6.36% for the week ending May 14, according to Freddie Mac.
This minor 1-basis-point dip from last week’s 6.37% indicates a stabilizing trend after several weeks of moderate climbs.
Despite the recent volatility, current rates remain significantly more favorable than the same period in 2025, when rates averaged 6.81%.
Here’s the monthly cost of purchasing a typical home today, according to the Realtor.com® mortgage calculator.
All examples assume a 30-year fixed mortgage and include principal and interest only, excluding property taxes, homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance.
Monthly mortgage payment today with a 20% down payment
For a homebuyer eyeing the current median price of $415,000, a 20% down payment results in a loan amount of $332,000.
At today’s 6.36% rate, the monthly principal and interest payment is approximately $2,068.
Compared to the 6.81% average from May 2025, which would have required a $2,166 monthly payment for a home at this price, today’s buyers are saving $98 every single month.
Monthly mortgage payment today with a 3.5% down payment
The savings are also significant for those utilizing FHA loans with a 3.5% down payment.
On a $415,000 home, an FHA borrower would finance roughly $400,475. At today’s 6.36% rate, the monthly principal and interest payment comes to approximately $2,495.
This reflects a $3 decrease from last week’s monthly cost of $2,498. When viewed against the 6.81% rates of May 2025, where the monthly payment for this loan amount sat at $2,613, today’s FHA borrowers are keeping an extra $118 in their pockets every month.
Looking back at the October 2023 peak of 7.79%, where the payment for a home at this price reached $2,876, the monthly savings remain a substantial $381.
Long-term savings over 30 years
The long-term financial benefits of today’s rates are clear when looking at the total cost of the loan over 30 years.
A buyer with a 20% down payment at today’s 6.36% rate will pay a total of $744,480 in principal and interest over the life of the mortgage. While the recent price increases impact the final sum, this remains a sharp contrast to the October 2023 peak of 7.79%, when the total cost for that same $332,000 loan would have reached $858,600.
By securing a mortgage at today’s rate instead of that peak, a homebuyer effectively avoids $114,120 in interest charges over the 30-year term.
FHA borrowers see a similar trajectory of long-term savings. Financing the current median-priced home at today’s 6.36% rate results in a lifetime payment of $898,200 for principal and interest.
If that same loan had been locked in at the 7.79% peak in late 2023, the total cost would have climbed to $1,035,360. This represents a total long-term savings of $137,160 for FHA buyers.
While the weekly fluctuations in interest rates continue to be subtle, the broader year-over-year decline provides a more manageable landscape for buyers entering the market this May.
