Tag Archives: Mortgage Rates

Nearly half of respondents in Fannie Mae's most recent housing survey said they expect home prices to rise in the next 12 months, up from 45 percent in January.

Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey indicated little to no movement in fixed rates for the week ending March 7. According to Freddie Mac's readings, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.52 percent (0.7 point) this week, up slightly from the previous 3.51 percent average. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.88 percent. Meanwhile, Bankrate.com reported no movement in any of its three major metrics, with all of them reading the same as last week.

February's increase in mortgage interest rates took some of the heat out of the refinancing boom, Capital Economics says in its latest US Housing Data Response. Capital Economics' report, which compiles application data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), shows application volume fell 0.3 percent month-over-month in February. That decline, however, is still an improvement over January, which saw a 2.5 percent drop in applications from December.

Employment in the mortgage industry reached a post-crisis high in 2012, according to data from Mortgage Daily's Mortgage Employment Index. The index showed a gain of 2,571 jobs during last year's fourth quarter, making it the sixth straight quarter to post an increase. However, job growth wasn't as strong as the third quarter, which saw 2,926 mortgage jobs created. For the entire year, the mortgage industry gained 8,978 new jobs, more than twice what was gained in 2011 (4,320).

Redfin's latest survey shows inventory shortage and rising prices are creating frustration for buyers trying to get in on the ground floor of the housing recovery.

Mortgage rates finally broke their holding pattern this week, pulling back as reports demonstrated the housing market's ongoing strength and the global economy's precariousness. According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.51 percent (0.8 point) for the week ending February 28, dropping from 3.56 percent previously. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.90 percent. Bankrate.com's weekly national survey showed rates falling to five-week lows.

Mortgage application volume continued to fall last week even as interest rates declined, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Housing affordability rose close 1 percentage point up to 74.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the NAHB's Housing Opportunity Index.

Fixed mortgage rates moved up just a smidgen this week, according to surveys from Freddie Mac and Bankrate.com.

Mortgage application volume continued to decline last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 15. The survey's Market Composite Index, a measure of application volume, fell 1.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous week. On an unadjusted basis, the index fell 1.0 percent. According to the MBA's measure, the average contract interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.78 percent last week, the highest rate since August 2012.