Average 30-year mortgage rate falls for a 5th straight week
Paul
Wiseman, The Associated Press
2:54 p.m. EST February 4, 2016
WASHINGTON - Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell for the fifth straight week amid volatility in world financial markets. Mortgage buyer The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage slid to 3.01% from 3.07% last week. Mortgage rates have continued to fall despite the Federal Reserve’s decision in December to raise the short-term rate it controls for the first time since 2006. To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country at the beginning of each week. The average doesn’t include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. The average fee for a 30-year mortgage was unchanged at 0.6 point. The fee for a 15-year loan was also unchanged at 0.5 point. The average rate on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages fell to 2.85% this week from 2.90% last week; the fee slid to 0.4 point from 0.5 point last week. |