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Compare Second Home Mortgage Rates | Saturday, December 20, 2025

Rates are current as of December 20, 2025 12:11 AM EST

National average mortgage rates:
30-Year Fixed

APR 6.05%

-0.08% 1w
15-Year Fixed

APR 5.46%

-0.08% 1w
5-Year ARM

APR 6.54%

-0.10% 1w
9 ResultsShowing rates for: Purchase, Good (720-739), $500,000, 30-year fixed, Single-family, Secondary residence
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9 Results for: Purchase, Good (720-739), $500,000, 30-year fixed, Single-family, Secondary residence.
Farmers Bank of Kansas City

NMLS#613839

APR

6.50%

APR

6.50%

Interest rate

6.50%

Est. mo. payment

$2,529/mo

Total fees

$219

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Farmers Bank of Kansas City lets you browse rates and apply online, but branches are Kansas-only. Get discounts by using the bank’s partner real estate network.

Home loans overall

NerdWallet rating

4.5

What we like
  • Displays customized rates, with fee estimates, without requiring contact information.
  • Offers home equity loans and lines of credit.
  • Mortgage origination fees are on the low side compared to other lenders, according to the latest federal data.
What we don't like
  • Doesn’t offer government-backed FHA or USDA loans, or adjustable-rate mortgages.
  • Home renovation loans are not available.
  • Mortgage rates are on the high side compared to other lenders, according to the latest federal data.
Tomo

NMLS#2059741

APR

6.61%

APR

6.61%

Interest rate

6.49%

Est. mo. payment

$2,526/mo

Total fees

$4,896

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Tomo’s online rates comparison tool is among the best we’ve seen for shopping rates — and both their rates and fees are competitive. While they don’t offer refinance or home equity options, the solid lineup of purchase loans could be a good fit for a wide range of home buyers, including those with credit challenges.

NerdWallet rating

5.0

What we like
  • Comprehensive online rates comparison tool makes it easy to customize sample rates.
  • Mortgage rates are on the low side, according to the latest federal data.
  • Offers financing options for borrowers with lower credit and those without Social Security numbers.
What we don't like
  • No refinance or home equity options.
  • Loans not available in all states.
Real Genius

NMLS#2389303

APR

7.00%

APR

7.00%

Interest rate

6.99%

Est. mo. payment

$2,659/mo

Total fees

$447

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Home loans overall

NerdWallet rating

4.5

What we like
  • Offers a variety of mortgage options, including jumbo loans, and FHA and VA loans.
  • Offers home equity loans and lines of credit.
  • Displays customized rates, with fee estimates, without requiring contact information.
What we don't like
  • Doesn’t offer mortgages in all 50 states.
  • Home renovation loans are not available.
Next Door Lending LLC

NMLS#1880338

APR

7.02%

APR

7.02%

Interest rate

6.99%

Est. mo. payment

$2,659/mo

Total fees

$1,248

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Next Door Lending is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NerdWallet

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Next Door Lending, a mortgage broker, offers expert assistance shopping for and closing a loan, as well as specialty loans at competitive rates. Mortgages are not available in every state.

What we like
  • Offers a variety of loan types, including first-time buyer programs and loans for self-employed borrowers.
  • Real-time rate quotes available while working with a broker.
  • Responsive customer service.
  • Competitive pricing often available, especially for non-traditional borrowers.
What we don't like
  • Does not publish interest rates online.
  • No mortgage mobile app.
  • Loans are not available in every state.
Central Bank

NMLS#407985

APR

7.02%

APR

7.02%

Interest rate

6.99%

Est. mo. payment

$2,659/mo

Total fees

$1,298

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Midwest-rooted Central Bank offers an online application, which you can track via mobile app. But you’ll have to contact the bank for mortgage rates.

Home loans overall

NerdWallet rating

4.0

What we like
  • Among the best when it comes to online convenience.
  • Offers a full selection of mortgage types and products, including jumbo, home equity, and government loans.
  • Claims to offer preapproval within 24 hours of loan application.
What we don't like
  • You'll have to complete a loan application to see mortgage interest rates.
  • Bank branch locations limited to the Midwest.
  • Does not offer home equity lines of credit.
First Federal Bank

NMLS#408902

APR

7.15%

APR

7.15%

Interest rate

7.12%

Est. mo. payment

$2,695/mo

Total fees

$827

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First Federal Bank stands out for its exceptionally low interest rates and its emphasis on government loans. Most likely to appeal to borrowers shopping for low rates and fees.

Home loans overall

NerdWallet rating

5.0

What we like
  • Strong experience in FHA and VA lending.
  • Average mortgage rates are on the low side, according to the latest federal data.
  • Minimum credit score requirement of 580 for some loans, which is lower than some competitors.
What we don't like
  • No mobile app.
  • Home equity lending is not a priority.
  • Does not offer renovation loans, but does offer construction loans.
Simplist

NMLS#1764611

APR

7.33%

APR

7.33%

Interest rate

7.25%

Est. mo. payment

$2,729/mo

Total fees

$3,232

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Simplist is an online marketplace of mortgage lenders; human guidance is optional. You’ll make payments to a loan servicer, not to Simplist. Loans are not available in every state.

Home loans overall

NerdWallet rating

4.5

What we like
  • Loan origination process can be completed online.
  • Offers government-backed FHA and VA loans.
  • Offers module that compares mortgage rates among other lenders.
What we don't like
  • Offers loans in many states and Washington, D.C., but not nationwide.
  • Does not offer home equity loans or lines of credit.
NBKC

NMLS#409631

APR

7.80%

APR

7.80%

Interest rate

7.75%

Est. mo. payment

$2,866/mo

Total fees

$1,927

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NBKC stands out for its attractive interest rates and fees, and is primarily an online lender — though its app does not have mortgage features and chat support is not geared toward mortgage borrowers.

Home loans overall

NerdWallet rating

4.5

What we like
  • Competitive interest rates and fees.
  • Offers most common loan types, as well as a handful of specialty loans.
  • Payouts are available to borrowers whose loans don’t close on time.
What we don't like
  • Customer service is only accessible over the phone for many mortgage customers.
  • Does not offer renovation loans.
  • Home equity products are not currently a lending priority.

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About these rates: The lenders whose rates appear on this table are NerdWallet's advertising partners. NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a lender's site. The terms advertised here are not offers and do not bind any lender. The rates shown here are retrieved via the Mortech rate engine and are subject to change. These rates do not include taxes, fees, and insurance. Your actual rate and loan terms will be determined by the partner's assessment of your creditworthiness and other factors. Any potential savings figures are estimates based on the information provided by you and our advertising partners.

Today's mortgage rates | Saturday, December 20, 2025

Last updated 12:11 AM EST
On Saturday morning, December 20, 2025, the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage held steady at 6.05% APR, compared to yesterday.
The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rose one basis point to 5.46% APR. The average rate on a 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage rose three basis points to 6.54% APR.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate is eight basis points lower than one week ago and 57 basis points lower than one year ago.
A basis point is one hundredth of a percent, or 0.01%. We describe mortgage rates’ ups and downs in basis points because they simplify comparisons.
NerdWallet’s rates are expressed as an annual percentage rate, or APR, and our mortgage rates data comes from Zillow.

What to Know About Second Home Mortgage Rates

Holden Lewis
Kate Wood
+1
Holden Lewis
+2
Written by 

Holden Lewis

,  Co-Written by 

Kate Wood

,  Edited by 

Jeanette Margle

Written by 

Holden Lewis

 and 
2 others

What is a second home mortgage?

A second home is sometimes called a vacation home, and a second home mortgage is the loan you use to buy one, or to refinance the loan on one. When you have a primary residence, plus another home where you regularly spend time, the other residence is a second home.
From a lender's perspective, a property counts as a second home if:
  • It's a single-family residence where you stay for some portion of the year.
  • You have exclusive control over it, deciding who stays there, when and for how long.
  • It's suitable for year-round occupancy.
  • It's not a timeshare, nor does a management company control occupancy.
  • You don't rent it out year-round, and you don't use any rental income to qualify for the mortgage.
The requirements are both vague and specific, so let's dig in a little deeper. How long is "some portion of the year"? Well, for the Internal Revenue Service — yes, the IRS — it's 14 days. Rules governing deductions for rental property income also govern what's considered a vacation home versus a rental property. If you reside in the home for at least 14 days during the year, or for more than 10% of the time the property is rented, it's a vacation property.
Beyond what type of home loan you can use to buy the property, this distinction has substantial tax implications. If you're considering buying a second home that you sometimes rent out, you'll probably want to consult a tax pro to understand how the numbers could play out.
If you rent the place out year-round or use rental income to qualify for the mortgage, a lender is likely to consider it an investment property instead of a second home. Investment properties often require bigger down payments, higher credit scores and more cash reserves, and have higher mortgage interest rates than loans for second homes.

How to find today's second home mortgage rates

NerdWallet’s mortgage comparison tool can help you find competitive second home mortgage rates. Enter details about the loan you’re looking for, and you can see rate quotes without providing personal information.
You may find that specifying a larger down payment in the mortgage comparison tool will yield more rate quotes.

How second home mortgages are different

In general, mortgages for second homes require bigger down payments than mortgages for primary residences. To be eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, a second home must have a down payment of at least 10%. But lenders can, and often do, require even bigger down payments than Fannie and Freddie require.
Fannie and Freddie charge higher fees on second home mortgages. Instead of requiring these fees to be paid upfront, lenders usually build the fees into their interest rates. As a result, mortgage rates on second homes tend to be higher.
In most scenarios, you can't buy a second home with a government-backed loan. FHA loans and VA loans are intended to be used for primary residences — someone who is on the mortgage needs to occupy the home year-round.

Using home equity to buy a second home

If the lender requires a big down payment on a second home, you might be able to tap the equity in your primary home to come up with that sum. This would entail borrowing against the equity in your primary residence with a home equity line of credit or home equity loan.
The lender for your second home will require you to show that you can afford to pay all of your debts: the mortgage on the primary home, the home equity loan or credit line and the mortgage on the second home. It's also vital to recognize that borrowing against your home equity puts your primary residence at risk, because if you find yourself unable to pay the loan, your home is the collateral.

Learn more about financing second homes:

Latest mortgage news and analysis