Mortgage Rates Climb in Response to Recent Rise in Bond Yields

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(News Source: Freddie Mac)

(MCLEAN, VA) -- Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.29 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending June 4, 2009, up from last week when it averaged 4.91 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.09 percent.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 4.79 percent with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.53 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.65 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 4.85 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.82 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 5.51 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 4.81 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.69 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.06 percent.

(Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total cost of obtaining the mortgage.)

"30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates caught up to the recent rise in long-term bond yields this week to reach a 25-week high," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist." And the slowdown in the housing market has now detracted from economic growth for the past 13 quarters, the longest quarterly stretch since at least 1947, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter of 2009 alone, residential fixed investment shaved 1.4 percentage points off of real GDP growth, the most since third quarter of 2006.

"Yet, there are signs that the housing market may be moderating. Housing affordability rose in April to the second highest reading since January 1971 when records began, according the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). As a result, pending existing home sales rose for the third consecutive month by 6.7 percent in April and represented the largest monthly increase since October 2001. Three of the four regions experienced increases, led by a 33 percent jump in the Northeast, the NAR reported."

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.


Summary of Survey Results



Freddie Mac defines its regions as follows:

Northeast: NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT
Southeast: NC, SC, TN, KY, GA, AL, FL, PR, VI, MS
North Central: OH, IN, IL, MI, WI, MN, IA, ND, SD
Southwest: TX, LA, NM, OK, AR, MO, KS, CO, NE, WY
West: CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, UT, ID, MT, HI, AK, GU

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