U.S. Mortgage Rates Hold Steady as Markets Speculate Further Stimulus


Author: Chad Wandler
Location: McLean
Date: 2012-09-14

Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) yesterday released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS), showing fixed mortgage rates holding steady from the previous week and remaining near their all-time lows. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been below 4.00 percent all but once this year and the average 15-year fixed, a popular choice among refinance borrowers, has been below 3.00 percent since the last week in May.

News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.55 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending September 13, 2012, the same as last week. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.09 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 2.85 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.86 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.30 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.72 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.75 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.99 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.61 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, the same as last week. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.81 percent.

 

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following links for Regional and National Mortgage Rate Details and Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.

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

"Despite a lackluster August employment report, Treasury bond yields and mortgage rates were little changed this week with the financial markets speculating on further monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve. The economy added 96,000 net new workers in August, while revisions subtracted 41,000 from the prior two months; manufacturers cut 15,000 employees in August which represented the largest decline since August 2010. Meanwhile, approximately 368,000 people left the workforce thereby lowering the unemployment rate to 8.1 percent."

 

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