US 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Drops to 4.80 Percent

Location: McLean
Author: Eileen Fitzpatrick
Date: Monday, April 25, 2011

News Facts

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.80 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending April 21, 2011, down from last week when it averaged 4.91 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.07 percent.  

• 15-year FRM this week averaged 4.02 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.13 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.39 percent.  

• 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.61 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.78 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 4.03 percent.

• 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 3.16 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.25 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 4.22 percent.  

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following links for the Regional and National Mortgage Rate Details and Definitions.

Quotes

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

• "Low inflation is keeping mortgage rates at bay. The core consumer price index rose just 0.1 percent in March, below the market consensus forecast. The 12-month growth rate in core prices was 1.2 percent, which is also rather low by historical standards.

• "The housing market continues to struggle. Although housing starts and existing home sales in March were stronger than the market consensus, they were still at low levels. Moreover, homebuilders became more pessimistic in April about the near-term according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index."

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