Mortgage Rates Fall for Fourth Straight Week in U.S.

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Freddie Mac's latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) is reporting this week that mortgage rates have moved lower for the fourth consecutive week as the Fed held interest rates steady at its FOMC meeting on Wednesday.
 
Sean Becketti, chief economist at Freddie Mac says, "The yield on the 10-year Treasury stabilized around 2 percent this week, and the 30-year mortgage rate dipped 2 basis points to 3.79 percent. The recent market turmoil has given the Fed pause; as was universally expected, the Fed stood pat this week but kept its options open for a rate increase in March. This week's housing releases confirmed the momentum of home sales going into 2016. A hesitant Fed, sub-4-percent mortgage rates (at least for a little while longer), and strong housing fundamentals should generate a three percent increase in home sales this year."
 
Freddie Mac News Facts

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.79 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending January 28, 2016, down from last week when it averaged 3.81 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.66 percent. 

• 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.07 percent with an average 0.5 point, down from 3.10 percent last week. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.98 percent. 

• 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.90 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.91 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.86 percent.