Freddie Mac Weekly Update
30-year fixed-rate mortgage: Averaged 5.14 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending August 27, 2009, up from last week when it averaged 5.12 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.40 percent.
The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage: Averaged 4.58 percent with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.56 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.93 percent.
Five-year indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages ARMs: Averaged 4.67 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.57 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 6.03 percent.
One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs: Averaged 4.69 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, unchanged from last week when it averaged 4.69 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.33 percent. U.S. Treasury bond yields fell nearly a quarter of a percentage point over the week, and other long-term yields followed suit, said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. Interest rates on 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to the lowest level since the end of May, while initial rates on 5/1 hybrid ARMs declined to levels not seen since January 2005.
Freddie Sayz
Long-term mortgage rates were barely changed this week, remaining historically low, which is helping to sustain a high level of affordability in the home-purchase market, said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. Low rates contributed to existing home sales rising for the fourth consecutive month to an annual pace of 5.24 million in July, the most since August 2007, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Similarly, new home sales rose for the fourth month in a row to 0.4 million, the strongest pace since September 2008, the Commerce Department reported. The sales gain helped to reduce the number of new unsold houses on the market to the lowest amount since March 1993. In addition, house prices in June rose nationally for the second consecutive month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency's purchase-only house price index.
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