Bond Yields Rise Slightly, Taking Mortgage Rates With Them

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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 5.25 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending July 30, 2009, upfrom last week when it averaged 5.20 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.52 percent.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 4.69 percent with an average 0.7 point, up slightlyfrom last week when it averaged 4.68 percent.A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 6.07 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 4.75 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, up slightly from last week when it averaged 4.74 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 6.07 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 4.80 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.77 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.27 percent.

"Bond yields rose slightly higher this week on market optimism that the economy may be stabilizing somewhat, and mortgage rates followed those yields," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. "For instance, the Federal Reserve reported in its July 29th regional review that residential real estate markets in most of its districts remained weak, but many reported signs of improvement. In addition, it noted that entry-level homes continued to perform relatively well in part due to the first-time homebuyer tax credit.

"Other economic reports confirm that the housing market may indeed be bottoming out. New home sales rose for the third consecutive month in June to an annual pace of 384,000 homes, the most since November 2008 and the number of new houses on the market fell to the lowest amount since February 1999, according to the Department of Commerce. Sales of existing homes also showed a three-month gain to 4.89 million, the most since October 2008, and the share of distressed homes fell to 31 percent compared to almost half at the beginning of the year, the National Association of Realtors® (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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