Better Than Expected Economic Reports Help Keep Mortgage Rates Low This Week

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(News Source: Freddie Mac)

(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 5.22 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending August 6, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 5.25 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.52 percent.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 4.63 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.69 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 6.10 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 4.73 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.75 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 6.05 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 4.78 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.80 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.22 percent.

"Better-than-expected economic reports helped to keep mortgage rates low this week," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. "The economy slowed by an annual rate of 1 percent in the second quarter, which was more positive than market forecasts."

"Homebuyer demand improved as well, aided by high levels of housing affordability. The first half of this year contained the top six months with the most affordable housing conditions since the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) began calculating its Housing Affordability Index in January 1971. As a result, pending existing home sales rose for five consecutive months ending in June, a trend not seen since July 2003. In June, a typical family would have devoted 15.7 percent of their gross income to mortgage principal and interest payments, the NAR explained."

Freddie Mac was established by Congress in 1970 to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the nation's residential mortgage markets. Freddie Mac supports communities across the nation by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Over the years, Freddie Mac has made home possible for one in six homebuyers and more than five million renters.


Summary of Survey Results



Freddie Mac defines its regions as follows:

Northeast: NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT
Southeast: NC, SC, TN, KY, GA, AL, FL, PR, VI, MS
North Central: OH, IN, IL, MI, WI, MN, IA, ND, SD
Southwest: TX, LA, NM, OK, AR, MO, KS, CO, NE, WY
West: CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, UT, ID, MT, HI, AK, GU

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