Mortgage Rates Fall Again This Week: Another Record-Breaking Low

NosediveFreddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.78 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending April 2, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 4.85 percent.
 
The 30-year fixed rate mortgage has not been lower in the life of Freddie Macs weekly survey, which dates back to 1971.
 
The 15-year FRM this week averaged 4.52 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.58 percent, the lowest rate since that survey began in 1971.
 
 
Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 4.92 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.96 percent. The 5-year ARM has never been lower in the life of Freddie Macs weekly survey, which dates back to 2005 for the 5-year ARM.
 
One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 4.75 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.85 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.19 percent. The 1-year ARM has not been lower since the week ending September 29, 2005, when it averaged 4.68 percent.

Mortgage rates followed other interest rates lower this week amid reports of slower economic growth said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. The final estimate of economic growth in the fourth quarter was revised lower and personal incomes fell 0.2 percent in February, below the market consensus.

On a positive note, pending existing home sales rose 2.1 percent in February, marking the second increase in three months as potential homebuyers are taking advantage of historically low mortgage rates and falling home prices. Serving as a spur to sales, housing affordability reached an all-time high in February 2009 since the series’ inception in 1971, according to the National Association of Realtors. By region, sales surged by nearly a third in the Northeast and Midwest, but fell in the West.
 
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