MCLEAN, VA--(Marketwire - Jan 31, 2013) - [ Freddie Mac ] (OTC: [ FMCC ]) today released the results of its [ Primary Mortgage Market Survey® ] (PMMS^®), showing mortgage rates continuing to trend higher amid a growing economy led in part by the recovering housing market. This marks the first week the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has averaged above 3.5 percent since September 13^th of last year. The all-time record low for the 30-year fixed was set the week of November 21, 2012, when it averaged 3.31 percent.

News Facts

• [ 30-year fixed-rate mortgage ] (FRM) averaged 3.53 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending January 31, 2013, up from last week when it averaged 3.42 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.87 percent. 
  
  
• [ 15-year FRM ] this week averaged 2.81 percent with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.71 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.14 percent. 
  
  
• [ 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage ] (ARM) averaged 2.70 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.67 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.80 percent.
  
  
• [ 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM ] averaged 2.59 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.57 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.76 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 the [ 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 continued to trend upwards this week amid a growing economy led in part by the recovering housing market. For instance, [ new home sales ] totaled 367,000 in 2012, the most in three years and reflected the first annual increase in seven years. [ Pending home sales ] in 2012 averaged its highest reading since 2006. And the S&P/Case-Shiller^® 20-city composite [ house price index ] rose 5.5 percent over the 12-months ending in November 2012, the largest annual growth since August 2006. All of these factors helped residential fixed investment to add nearly 0.4 percentage points to real [ GDP ] growth in the fourth quarter alone."

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. Today Freddie Mac is making home possible for one in four homebuyers and is one of the largest sources of financing for multifamily housing. [ www.FreddieMac.com ]