Freddie Mac has released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS), which found that both fixed- and short-term mortgage rates continued to rise this week. This was the fifth week in a row where fixed-rate mortgage rates were up. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.83 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending Dec. 16, 2010, up from last week when it averaged 4.61 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.94 percent.
The 15-year FRM this week averaged 4.17 percent with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.96 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.38 percent.
“Market concerns over stronger economic growth that, in the near term, could lead to an increase in inflation have sparked a rise in bond yields and mortgage rates have followed," said Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac. "For instance, the growth in retail sales excluding automobiles in November was twice that of the market consensus forecast. Industrial production showed the biggest gain in November since July, according to the Federal Reserve Board. And consumer sentiment, as measured by the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index, rose to a six-month high in December. As a result, interest rates for 30-year fixed mortgages this week were the highest since the week of May 20th of this year.”
The five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.77 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.60 percent. A year ago, the five-year ARM averaged 4.37 percent.
The one-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 3.35 percent this week with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.27 percent. At this time last year, the one-year ARM averaged 4.34 percent.
For more information, visit www.freddiemac.com.
