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For Immediate Release
January 31, 2008
MORTGAGE RATES BOUNCE BACK FROM FOUR-WEEK DOWNWARD TRENDRates Are Still Well Below Historical AverageMcLean, 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 5.68 percent with an average 0.4 point for the week ending January 31, 2008, up from last week when it averaged 5.48 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.34 percent. The 15-year FRM this week averaged 5.17 percent with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.95 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 6.06 percent. Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 5.32 percent this week, with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 5.13 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 6.04 percent. One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.05 percent this week with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it was 4.99 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.54 percent (Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total cost of obtaining the mortgage.) "Mortgage rates ended their four-week descent this week, with average rates on 30-year and 15-year fixed rate mortgages coming up by about 0.2 percentage points," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist." This increase completely erased the previous week's decline. The movement in fixed mortgage rates was broadly consistent with the movements of Treasury bonds over the week. "Reinforcing the Fed's resolution to thwart a recession, the Federal Open Market Committee announced another cut in the target federal funds rate by half of a percentage point in their most recent scheduled meeting. This came on the heels of the Fed's rate cut of three-quarters of a percentage point the previous week, and the shaping-up of a fiscal stimulus package by Congress and the White House. This cut was in line with market expectations." 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
Freddie Mac defines its regions as follows: Northeast: NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, ME, NH, VT, MA, RI,
CT 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.
PRIMARY MORTGAGE MARKET SURVEY RESULTS
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| 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages | ||||||
| US | NE | SE | NC | SW | W | |
| Average | 5.68 | 5.72 | 5.63 | 5.75 | 5.72 | 5.65 |
| Fees & Points | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| 15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages | ||||||
| US | NE | SE | NC | SW | W | |
| Average | 5.17 | 5.19 | 5.13 | 5.19 | 5.24 | 5.16 |
| Fees & Points | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| 5/1-Year Adjustable Rate Mortgages | ||||||
| US | NE | SE | NC | SW | W | |
| Average | 5.32 | 5.30 | 5.33 | 5.38 | 5.32 | 5.30 |
| Fees & Points | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Margin | 2.76 | 2.76 | 2.76 | 2.75 | 2.78 | 2.76 |
| 1-Year Adjustable Rate Mortgages | ||||||
| US | NE | SE | NC | SW | W | |
| Average | 5.05 | 5.30 | 5.11 | 4.98 | 5.11 | 4.83 |
| Fees & Points | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Margin | 2.76 | 2.75 | 2.77 | 2.75 | 2.81 | 2.76 |
| The National Mortgage Rate Snapshot | ||||||||
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| 30-YR | 15-YR | 5/1-YR | 1-YR ARM | 30-YR | 15-YR | 5/1-YR | 1-YR ARM | |
| Average | 6.34 | 6.06 | 6.04 | 5.54 | 5.48 | 4.95 | 5.13 | 4.99 |
| Fees & Points | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Margin | N/A | N/A | 2.76 | 2.75 | N/A | N/A | 2.76 | 2.75 |
| © 2009 Freddie Mac |
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