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30-year Fixed-rate Mortgage Matches All-time Record Low

News Facts

    --  30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.91 percent with an average
        0.8 point for the week ending January 5, 2012, down from last week when
        it averaged 3.95 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM
        averaged 4.77 percent.
    --  15-year FRM this week averaged 3.23 percent with an average 0.8 point,
        down from last week when it averaged 3.24 percent. A year ago at this
        time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.13 percent.
    --  5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged
        2.86 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, down from last week
        when it averaged 2.88 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.75
        percent.
    --  1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.80 percent this week with an
        average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.78 percent. At
        this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 3.24 percent.

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following links for Regional and National Mortgage Rate Details and Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.

Quotes

Attributed to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac.

    --  "Fixed mortgage rates started the year a little lower this week just as
        recent data reports indicate the housing market and manufacturing
        industry are showing signs of improvement. Pending existing home sales
        in November jumped 7.3 percent, nearly five times greater than the
        market consensus forecast, to its strongest pace since April 2010. In
        addition, construction spending rose 1.2 percent in November, supported
        by the residential sector which exhibited its fourth consecutive monthly
        increase. Similarly, manufacturing expanded in December at the fastest
        pace in six months."

Get the latest information from Freddie Mac's Office of the Chief Economist on Twitter:@FreddieMac

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.

SOURCE Freddie Mac