WASHINGTON -- The House on Thursday passed the most sweeping government plan yet to shore up the troubled housing market and help people struggling to pay their mortgages, adopting legislation that would underwrite $300 billion in new loans and keep ... Getting a refinance mortgage loan is a smart move for any homebuyer. This is especially true if the interest rates are low. In the world of finance, interest rates directly affect the way mortgage rates behave. So if the interest rates are low, then mortgage rates will also be low.