Mortgage rates rise to 11-week high on inflation jittersMortgagePress.comFreddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, ARMs, rates, Frank Nothaft
Freddie Mac has released the results of its Primary Mortgage
Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM)
averaged 6.08 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending
May 29, 2008, up from last week when it averaged 5.98 percent. Last
year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.42 percent.
The 15-year FRM this week averaged 5.66 percent with an average
0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 5.55 percent. A year
ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 6.12 percent.
Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages
(ARMs) averaged 5.62 percent this week, with an average 0.5 point,
up very slightly from last week when it averaged 5.61 percent. A
year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 6.19 percent.
One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.22 percent this week
with an average 0.6 point, down slightly from last week when it was
5.24 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.57
percent. Average commitment rates should be reported along with
average fees and points to reflect the total cost of obtaining the
mortgage.
"Mortgage rates drifted up this week over market concerns that
the Federal Reserve Board may raise short-term rates later this
year," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief
economist. "A recent working paper published by the Federal Reserve
Bank of Minneapolis suggested that the recent rate cuts run a risk
of unhinging long-term market expectations for inflation. Indeed,
market inflation expectations increased over the last few weeks and
the federal funds futures market now has a 25 basis point rate hike
priced in by the end of the year.
"While existing house prices continue to decline, new home sales
unexpectedly rose in April and the number of month's supply of new
homes for sale fell from 11.1 months in March to 10.6 months in
April. Moreover, the median sales price for new homes rose 1.5
percent in April from the same month in 2007, representing the
first yearly increase since November 2007."
For more information, visit www.freddiemac.com.
