RIS Media

18 September 2012

Freddie Mac recently 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.

The 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.

Additionally, the 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.

The 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.

The 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.

“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,” notes Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac.

“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 percen,” Nothaft continues.

For more information, visit www.FreddieMac.com.