Zillow: Fixed Rates Back Down to 4.26 Percent

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage (FRM) on the Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is currently 4.26 percent, down 15 basis points from 4.41 percent at this time last week. The 30-year FRM hovered between 4.38 and 4.45 early last week, peaking at 4.48 last Thursday before declining near the current rate early this week. “Last week, rates retreated from multi-year highs as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke soothed concerns the Fed would scale back its stimulus program prematurely,” said Erin Lantz, director of Zillow Mortgage Marketplace. “This week, markets will focus on Bernanke’s congressional testimony on Wednesday and Thursday for signs the Fed is feeling more or less confident on the current state of the economy.” Zillow’s real-time mortgage rates are based on thousands of custom mortgage quotes submitted daily to anonymous borrowers on the Zillow Mortgage Marketplace site, and reflect the most recent changes in the market. These are not marketing rates, or a weekly survey. The rate for a 15-year fixed home loan is currently 3.29 percent, while the rate for a 5-1 adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) is 3.24 percent.