Long-Term Rates for Tenth Consecutive Week Setting Yet Another New Low

Realty Times - January 9, 2009

McLEAN, VA -- Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.01 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending January 8, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 5.10 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.87 percent. The 30-year FRM has not been lower since Freddie Mac started the Primary Mortgage Market Survey in 1971.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 4.62 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.83 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.43 percent. The 15-year FRM has not been lower since June 13, 2003, when it averaged 4.60 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 5.49 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 5.57 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 5.63 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 4.95 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.85 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.37 percent.

"Interest rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell for the tenth week to a fourth consecutive record low due in part to the Federal Reserve’s recent purchases of mortgage-backed securities issued by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. "On November 25, 2008, the Federal Reserve announced that it planned to purchase up to $500 billion of these securities by the end of June of this year. For the sake of comparison, there were roughly $4.7 trillion of such securities backed by home mortgages available as of September 30, 2008."

"Since the end of October 2008, these rates have declined by almost 1 1/2 percentage points, or payment savings of about $184 a month for a $200,000 loan – an additional $11 dollars from last week."

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