A recently released Freddie Mac survey showed average fixed mortgage rates moving lower, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage ducking just under four percent.
According to the Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.98 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending July 30, 2015, down from last week when it averaged 4.04 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.12 percent.
“Monday’s 8 percent decline in Chinese stock prices triggered similar — though smaller — sell-offs in global equity markets,” says Sean Becketti, chief economist for Freddie Mac. “The mortgage rate has bounced between 3.98 and 4.09 percent since the first full week of June, falling a bit when events overseas take a turn for the worse and rising when the clouds appear ready to part.”
The 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.17 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.21 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.23 percent.
Results show the 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.95 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.97 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.01 percent.
The 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.52 percent this week with an average 0.3 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.54 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.38 percent.
“Recent housing data exhibited the same good news/bad news pattern as overseas developments,” says Becketti. “Coming into this week, existing home sales for June and the latest FHFA house price measures both suggested a stronger tone in the housing market. However this week brought nothing but bad — or at least weaker-than-expected — news. New homes sales and pending home sales both weakened and the Case-Shiller house price indices, while positive, fell below the lower end of expectations. Finally, the inadvertent release of Fed staff projections increased uncertainty over the timing of future Fed rate moves.”
For more information, visit www.freddiemac.com.
