30-Year Mortgage Rate Drops by 54 Basis Points Since Last Year

If you’ve been watching the housing market nervously, feeling like rates were constantly climbing, I have some genuinely good news that cuts through that anxiety. The definitive statement is clear: Yes, the entry point for buying a home is significantly better now than it was 12 months ago because the 30-year fixed mortgage rate drops by 54 basis points year over year.

This decrease, reported by Freddie Mac, may sound like small technical jargon, but trust me, it translates directly into hundreds of dollars in your pocket every month and tens of thousands of dollars saved over the life of your loan. This relief is what the U.S. housing market needed, and judging by the recent spike in buyer interest, many of you are already catching on.

When rates start moving down, even slightly, it injects confidence back into buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for a better deal. From my viewpoint working in financial markets, a half-a-percent drop over a year is a strong indicator that the most volatile period of rate hikes has passed.

30-Year Mortgage Rate Drops by 54 Basis Points Since Last Year

The Big Picture: What 54 Basis Points Really Means

When we throw around terms like “basis points,” it’s easy for listeners to tune out. So let me simplify: One basis point is simply one one-hundredth of a percent (0.01%). Therefore, a drop of 54 basis points (-0.54%) means that the average 30-year fixed rate has decreased by over half a percent compared to the same time last year.

This data, which comes directly from the dependable Primary Mortgage Market Survey® released by Freddie Mac, shows a significant improvement in affordability.

Think back to last year. If you were house hunting, you were likely dealing with rates that peaked much higher. While the current 30-year fixed rate stands at 6.24% (as of November 13, 2025), a year prior, it was 54 basis points higher—meaning it was hovering close to 6.78%.

This shift, while seemingly small percentage-wise, changes the entire equation for a potential homeowner.

Crunching the Numbers: Real Savings for Homeowners

As an expert who studies these trends daily, the most exciting part of this data is illustrating the concrete savings. This is where the 54 basis point drop moves from a statistic into real-world peace of mind.

Let's assume a common loan scenario today: You are financing $400,000 for your new home.

Metric	Rate One Year Ago (Approx. 6.78%)	Current Rate (6.24%)	Savings Difference
Loan Amount	$400,000	$400,000	N/A
Monthly Principal & Interest (P&I)	$2,601	$2,467	$134 per month
Total Interest Paid Over 30 Years	$536,360	$488,120	$48,240

I always tell my clients: that $134 per month is substantial. That’s a car payment, groceries, or college savings. And the nearly $50,000 reduction in lifetime interest? That is life-changing wealth retained by the homeowner, not the bank.

This example clearly shows the power of waiting for rates to retreat from their recent highs.

Why Now? Understanding the Rate Stability

While the year-over-year news is fantastic, it’s important to look at the short-term picture. The Freddie Mac survey shows that rates for the 30-year and the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage primarily remained flat this particular week (November 13, 2025). The 30-year rate moved up only 0.02 percentage points, landing at 6.24%.

This flatness suggests stability, which is often just as good as a dramatic drop for the economy. When rates stop wildly fluctuating, both buyers and lenders can plan better.

It’s worth noting the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage saw a similar drop: 50 basis points year over year, landing at an attractive 5.49%. For those who can afford a higher monthly payment and want to own their home free and clear much faster, the 15-year option has also become notably more appealing.

The Market Speaks: Why Buyers Are Stepping Up

What I find truly insightful is how consumers reacted to these relatively stable, lower year-over-year rates. Data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) confirmed a big shift in buyer behavior during the week ending November 7: Purchase applications increased 6%.

What does this tell us? People are tired of waiting.

Even though rates ticked up just slightly that week (to 6.34% for conforming loans, according to MBA data), buyers interpreted the overall stability and the lower annual trends (that massive 54 basis point drop) as their cue to jump back into the market.

Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President, highlighted encouraging factors:

• This was the strongest pace for purchase applications since September.
• It marked the strongest start to November since 2022.
• Activity increased across conventional, FHA, and VA loans—a sign of broad market confidence.

From my personal expertise, this spike in purchase activity signals a critical psychological shift. When buyers see rates consistently hold below the 7% or 8% high points we experienced previously, they reset their expectations. The current rate—even if it bumps up or down by 0.05% week-to-week—is viewed as a better deal than anything they saw 12 months ago.

Refinance Reality Check

While purchase activity soared, refinance activity saw a slight 3% decrease week-over-week. This makes sense; if rates are essentially flat or rising slightly this week, there’s no immediate urgency to refinance.

However, the year-over-year comparison on refinancing is absolutely astounding, reflecting the relief of the 54 basis point drop. Refinance applications were 147% higher than the same week last year!

This massive year-over-year spike demonstrates that many existing homeowners who bought at peak rates are rapidly seizing the opportunity to lower their monthly payments now that rates are in the low-to-mid 6% range.

Key Refinance Data Points:

• The refinance share of mortgage activity settled at 55.6% of total applications.
• The average loan size for refinances dropped slightly, suggesting lower-balance borrowers are finally able to take advantage of the better rates.

My Takeaway: Don't Wait for the Bottom

One of the biggest mistakes I see prospective buyers make is waiting for the mythical “bottom” of the rate cycle. They want rates to hit 3% or 4%, but current economic reality suggests that those ultra-low rates are likely behind us for now.

The 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Drops by 54 Basis Points Year Over Year has given you an excellent entry point that saves you nearly $50,000 in interest over three decades compared to buying a year ago.

The fact that purchase applications are now increasing tells me that the smart money—the savvy buyers—are recognizing this window of opportunity. Inventory is starting to stabilize in some markets, and you are better positioned today with a 6.24% rate than you were chasing desperate bids with a 6.78% rate last year.

My advice remains consistent: If you find a house you love and the payments work today, lock in the rate. The annual drop is your market signal; don't wait for the next slight dip, especially since purchase competition is already heating up.