Mortgage rates climbed this week after barely budging in the previous Freddie Mac survey, the company reported today.
In Freddie Mac’s survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.32 percent for the week ended today, up from last week’s average of 6.26 percent.
The average for the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage this week is 5.87 percent, up from last week when it also averaged 5.81 percent. Points on both the 30- and 15-year averaged 0.6.
The five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 5.78 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, up slightly from last week when it averaged 5.76 percent. The one-year Treasury-indexed adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 5.16 percent, with an average 0.8 point, unchanged from last week.
“Looking back at 2005, 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates averaged just about the same as they have for the last two years,” said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. “Since the 30-year fixed-rate is the most popular mortgage product by far, these low rates helped the housing market set records for home sales and new construction over the last three years.
“Looking ahead, as mortgage rates rise housing activity will ease somewhat. So although 2006 will not be another record-setting year, it will likely beat the previous record for home sales and new construction set in 2003. In other words, 2006 will be another busy year for the housing sector.”
The following is a sampling of Bankrate.com’s average 30-year-mortgage interest rates this week in some U.S. metropolitan areas:
New York – 6.32 percent with 0.29 point
Los Angeles – 6.43 percent with 0.51 point
Chicago – 6.51 percent with 0.05 point
San Francisco – 6.45 percent with 0.26 point
Philadelphia – 6.3 percent with 0.29 point
Detroit – 6.46 percent with no points
Boston – 6.41 percent with 0.5 point
Houston – 6.4 percent with 0.54 point
Dallas – 6.43 percent with 0.47 point
Washington, D.C. – 6.23 percent with 0.76 point
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