Mortgage Rates Continue Trend of Record-Breaking Lows

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^{Published in Business and Finance on Thursday, January 12th 2012 at 7:10 GMT by Market Wire}  

Mortgage Rates Continue Trend of Record-Breaking Lows -- MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- [ Freddie Mac ] (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its [ Primary Mortgage Market Survey ]® (PMMS®), showing mortgage rates easing to new all-time record lows for all products covered in the survey helping to keep homebuyer affordability high. The average for the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been below 4.00 percent for six consecutive weeks.

News Facts

• [ 30-year fixed-rate mortgage ] (FRM) averaged 3.89 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending January 12, 2012, down from last week when it averaged 3.91 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.71 percent. 
• [ 15-year FRM ] this week averaged 3.16 percent with an average 0.8 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.23 percent.A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.08 percent. 
• [ 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage ] (ARM) averaged 2.82 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.86 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.72 percent.
• [ 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM ] averaged 2.76 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.80 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 3.23 percent.  

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following links for [ Regional and National Mortgage Rate Details ] and [ Definitions ]. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.

Quotes

Attributed to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac.

• "Mortgage rates eased slightly this week to all-time record lows following mixed indicators in the labor market. Although the economy added 1.6 million jobs in 2011, which was the most since 2006, the [ unemployment rate ] remained historically elevated. The 2009 to 2011 period had the highest three-year average unemployment rate since 1939 to 1941. Moreover, the Federal Reserve indicated in its January 11^th[ regional economic review ] that most industries saw limited permanent hiring at the end of last year."

Get the latest information from Freddie Mac's Office of the Chief Economist on Twitter:[ @FreddieMac ]

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.

SOURCE Freddie Mac

RELATED LINKS
[ http://www.freddiemac.com ]