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For Immediate Release

January 24, 2008
Contact: corprel@freddiemac.com
or (703) 903-3933

 

FIXED-RATE MORTGAGE RATES PLUMMET TO LOWEST LEVELS IN FOUR YEARS

30-Year AND 15-Year FRM At Lowest Level Since Spring 2004

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 5.48 percent with an average 0.4 point for the week ending January 24, 2008, down from last week when it averaged 5.69 percent as well. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.25 percent. The 30-year FRM has not been lower since the week ending March 25, 2004 when it averaged 5.40 percent.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 4.95 percent with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 5.21 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.98 percent. The 15-year FRM has not been lower since the week ending April 1, when it averaged 4.84 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 5.13 percent this week, with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 5.40 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 6.00 percent. The 5-year ARM has not been lower since June 30, 2005, when it averaged 5.06 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 4.99 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it was 5.26 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.49 percent. The 1-year ARM has not been lower since October 27, 2005, when it averaged 4.91 percent.

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

"Economic news released last week confirmed the weak condition of the housing market. Housing starts fell further in December to 1.006 million units, the slowest pace since May 1991," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. "For the year as a whole, housing starts dropped nearly 25 percent, from 2006's level. This was the largest annual decline since 1980. New permits issued also fell to the lowest level since March 1993.

"When the Federal Reserve cut the target federal funds rate by three quarters of a percentage point, the action was extraordinary in both the magnitude and the timing of the rate cut: it is the largest cut since October 1984, and also the first time in more than six years that the Fed took such action outside of a scheduled Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The last time the Fed decided to ease the target federal funds rate in an unscheduled meeting was immediately after September 11, 2001. As a result, mortgage rates continued trending down for the fourth consecutive week across loan products."

Freddie Mac is a stockholder-owned corporation established by Congress in 1970 to support homeownership and rental housing. Freddie Mac purchases single-family and multifamily residential mortgages and mortgage-related securities, which it finances primarily by issuing mortgage-related securities and debt instruments in the capital markets. Over the years, Freddie Mac has made home possible more than 50 million times, ensuring financing for one in six homebuyers and more than four million renters.


 

SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS

Fixed-Rate Mortgages
  Average Conventional 30-Year Commitment Rate Fees & Points Average Conventional 15-Year Commitment Rate Fees & Points
US 5.48 0.4 4.95 0.4
Northeast 5.57 0.2 5.05 0.3
Southeast 5.46 0.4 4.99 0.5
N. Central 5.51 0.3 4.98 0.3
Southwest 5.47 0.4 4.97 0.4
West 5.41 0.6 4.85 0.6

Five/One-Year Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
  First Commitment Rate Fees & Points Margin
US 5.13 0.4 2.76
Northeast 5.27 0.4 2.77
Southeast 5.14 0.4 2.76
N. Central 5.23 0.3 2.77
Southwest 5.13 0.5 2.78
West 4.99 0.6 2.74

One-Year Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
  First Commitment Rate Fees & Points Margin
US 4.99 0.6 2.75
Northeast 5.10 0.7 2.76
Southeast 4.95 0.6 2.76
N. Central 5.02 0.3 2.77
Southwest 4.84 0.5 2.80
West 4.98 0.8 2.70

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
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

Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) is for informational purposes only and Freddie Mac is not responsible for business decisions made based on the reported results of the PMMS. Freddie Mac may change the methodology used to conduct the PMMS survey at any time and without notice.

DEFINITIONS

Commitment Rate is the interest rate a lender would charge to lend mortgage money to a qualified borrower exclusive of the fees and points required by the lender. This commitment rate applies only to conventional financing on conforming mortgages with loan-to-value rates of 80 percent or less.

ARM Index - is the One-year Treasury

Loan to Value Ratio (LTV) is the ratio of the loan amount of a mortgage loan to the lower of the appraisal value or purchase price of the property securing the loan.

Origination Fees and Discount Points are the total charged by the lender at settlement. One point equals one percent of the loan amount.

Margin is a fixed amount added to the underlying index to establish the fully indexed rate for an ARM.

Weighted Averages for the Primary Mortgage Market Survey have been adjusted as of October 18, 2007. The new weights use the dollar volume of conventional mortgage originations within the 1-unit Freddie Mac loan limit as reported under Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) for 2006. The weights are listed in the table below.

Freddie Mac Region PMMS Weights
Northeast 23.9
Southeast 20.4
North Central 14.3
Southwest 11.0
West 30.3

 

PRIMARY MORTGAGE MARKET SURVEY RESULTS
January 24, 2008

30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages
  US NE SE NC SW W
Average 5.48 5.57 5.46 5.51 5.47 5.41
Fees & Points 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.6

15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages
  US NE SE NC SW W
Average 4.95 5.05 4.99 4.98 4.97 4.85
Fees & Points 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.6

5/1-Year Adjustable Rate Mortgages
  US NE SE NC SW W
Average 5.13 5.27 5.14 5.23 5.13 4.99
Fees & Points 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.6
Margin 2.76 2.77 2.76 2.77 2.78 2.74

1-Year Adjustable Rate Mortgages
  US NE SE NC SW W
Average 4.99 5.10 4.95 5.02 4.84 4.98
Fees & Points 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.8
Margin 2.75 2.76 2.76 2.77 2.80 2.70


The National Mortgage Rate Snapshot
 
One Year Ago
One Week Ago
  30-YR 15-YR 5/1-YR 1-YR ARM 30-YR 15-YR 5/1-YR 1-YR ARM
Average 6.25 5.98 6.00 5.49 5.69 5.21 5.40 5.26
Fees & Points 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.6
Margin N/A N/A 2.76 2.75 N/A N/A 2.75 2.77



© 2009 Freddie Mac