30-Year and 15-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages Fall to New Lows

Shorter Term Rates Fall Again to New Record Lows

Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® which found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) and the 15-year (FRM) set new records for all-time lows. The 5-year ARM also reached another new low in the survey while the 1-year ARM remained at its nadir.

News Facts

30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.17 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending November 11, 2010, down from last week when it averaged 4.24 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.91 percent.

15-year FRM this week averaged 3.57 percent with an average 0.8 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.63 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.36 percent.

5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 3.25 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.39 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 4.29 percent.

1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 3.26 percent this week with an average 0.7 point, unchanged from last week when it also averaged 3.26 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 4.46 percent.

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total cost of obtaining the mortgage.

Quotes

Attributed to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac.

“Following the Federal Reserve November 3rd policy announcement that it plans to purchase up to $600 billion in government securities, Treasury bond yields initially fell and then gradually rose again. This allowed mortgage rates to fall to record levels this week.

"Despite historically low mortgage rates, however, the housing recovery continues to be slow owing in part to household job uncertainty and tight credit conditions. The unemployment rate has remained at 9.5 percent or higher for the past 15 months, while commercial banks tightened lending standards in 16 of the last 17 quarters, according to the Fed's Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey "

Source: Freddie Mac