Lack of action from the Fed on monetary policy, wrangling in the nation's Capitol, and ongoing problems overseas helped push mortgage rates to new record lows this week.
[IMAGE]Finance Web site ""Bankrate.com"":http://www.bankrate.com/ and mortgage giant ""Freddie Mac"":http://www.freddiemac.com/ released the figures in separate weekly surveys.
Bankrate.com recorded an all-time low for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, which slammed into 4.19 percent, down from 4.24 percent. Freddie countered with rates for the benchmark loan that again fell to 3.94 percent, down from 3.99 percent from the week before.
The GSE also saw the 15-year fixed-rate loan cresting at 3.21
[COLUMN_BREAK]percent, a new low, down from 3.27 percent last week. Bankrate.com offered up 3.42 percent once more for the loan, a change from 3.48 percent last week.
""Continued uneasiness about the European debt crisis, ongoing political wrangling about the payroll tax cut extension, and no indication of forthcoming stimulus from the Federal Open Market Committee collectively brought mortgage rates lower,"" Bankrate.com said in a statement, adding that with ""Europe's crisis still holding sway, the better economic picture has gone largely unnoticed in financial markets.""
Commenting on the figures, ""Frank Nothaft"":http://www.freddiemac.com/bios/exec/nothaft.html, VP and chief economist with Freddie, said that mortgage rates fell ""at or near all-time record lows this week amid a rough environment for housing.""
He said that households lost some $400 billion in property values, contributing to a $1.4-trillion reduction in net worth.
For Freddie, the 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) inched forward from 2.93 percent last week to 2.86 percent this week, while the 1-year averaged 2.81 percent this week, up from 2.80 percent last week.
Bankrate.com noted that 5-year and 1-year ARMs meanwhile climbed to 3.21 percent this week from 3.18 percent last week.