U.S. Mortgage Rates Hit Record-Breaking Lows During the Holidays

By David Barley

According to Freddie Mac's latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS), average fixed mortgage rates at or near all-time record lows helping to keep homebuyer affordability high.

The 30-year fixed averaged 3.91 percent for the week, a new all-time low, dropping below last week's 3.94 percent, the previous record low. The 15-year fixed matched last week's all-time record low at 3.21 percent. Adjustable rate products also hit new all-time lows in this week's survey.

Freddie Mac's chief economist Frank Nothaft tells the World Property Channel, "Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages have been at or below 4 percent for the last eight weeks and now are almost 0.9 percentage points below where they were at the beginning of the year, which means that today's homebuyers are paying over $1,200 less per year on a $200,000 loan. This greater affordability helped push existing home sales higher for the second consecutive month in November to an annualized pace of 4.42 million, the most since January."

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.91 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending December 22, 2011, down from last week when it averaged 3.94 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.81 percent.

15-year FRM this week averaged 3.21 percent with an average 0.8 point, matching last week when it averaged 3.21 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.15 percent.

The 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.85 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.86 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.75 percent.

1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.77 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.81 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 3.40 percent.

Nothaft further states, "New construction of one-family homes also showed a back-to-back monthly gain in November to the largest increase since June. Moreover, homebuilder confidence in December rose to its highest reading since May 2010 according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index."