Updated
Updated · Fortune · May 19
Zillow Puts 30-Year Refinance Rate at 6.58% as Most Homeowners Remain Locked Below 6%
Updated
Updated · Fortune · May 19

Zillow Puts 30-Year Refinance Rate at 6.58% as Most Homeowners Remain Locked Below 6%

3 articles · Updated · Fortune · May 19
  • Zillow’s latest data showed the average 30-year fixed refinance rate at 6.58% on May 19, keeping refi borrowing costs close to the upper end of their recent range.
  • Rates have stayed elevated despite three quarter-point Fed cuts in late 2025, after dipping toward 6.5% in February and then edging higher again in March amid economic uncertainty tied to the Iran conflict.
  • Redfin said 82.8% of mortgaged homeowners had rates below 6% in the third quarter of 2024, limiting the incentive to refinance unless borrowers can cut their rate by about 1 percentage point.
  • Refinancing still can appeal for cash-out borrowing or term changes, but closing costs typically run 2% to 6% of the loan amount—about $6,000 to $18,000 on a $300,000 mortgage.
How will the sustained Mideast conflict ultimately impact the cost of buying or refinancing a home in America?
As high rates freeze the housing market, what tools beyond rate cuts could the Fed use to provide relief?
With war fueling inflation and jobs slowing, which economic crisis will the Fed’s next interest rate decision target?