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Tag Archives: Mortgage Rates

States and Servicers Consider New Proposal for Aiding Those Underwater

Help for underwater homeowners has moved from principal writedowns to refinancing in the settlement negotiations between state attorneys general and the nation's five largest mortgage servicers. According to a widely circulated report, the proposal made its way into the talks last week. Borrowers who are current on their mortgage payments but owe more than their home is worth would be able to refinance at today's lower rates. The main caveat is that the loan must be owned, not just serviced, by one of the five banks.

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Thirty-Year Rate Jumps Back Up Above 4% Mark in One Week’s Time

The run for below-four-percent 30-year mortgage rates was short-lived. After a history-making drop to 3.94 percent last week, Freddie Mac has recorded an 18 basis point jump in the average interest rate on a conventional fixed-rate mortgage with a 30-year term. Mortgage rates across the board rose sharply this week. Freddie Mac attributes the sudden upward movement to last Friday's better-than-expected employment report, but the GSE stressed that even with the increases, mortgage rates remain near their 60-year lows.

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Zillow iPhone App Integrates Mortgage Marketplace

Zillow announced Thursday the release of a new component to its Zillow iPhone App. Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is now available through the Zillow iPhone App, allowing shoppers to access mortgage rates and other information as they shop for homes. Potential homebuyers can browse homes and compare mortgage rates from one app. Features of Zillow Mortgage Marketplace include a payment calculator to estimate monthly payments on a home and an affordability calculator that helps home shoppers find homes within their budget.

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Thirty-Year Mortgage Rate Falls Below 4%

The average rate for the conventional 30-year fixed mortgage has dropped below the 4 percent mark for the first time in history, according to numbers released Thursday by Freddie Mac. The GSE's market analysis also shows that the 15-year fixed rate - which has become a popular refinancing option among existing homeowners - fell to its lowest level on record for the sixth consecutive week. Freddie's national survey puts the average rate for a 30-year mortgage at 3.94 percent and the 15-year rate at 3.26 percent.

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Moody’s: Refinancing Is Key to Housing Market Recovery

If all of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's borrowers paying interest rates that are higher than the median rate were to refinance at 4 percent, the savings would total $63 billion. While such an option would not bring the total $63 billion in savings to fruition, Moody's chief economist, Mark Zandi, says ""even a fraction would be a big plus."" According to Zandi, the single most effective policy move for the housing market would be to facilitate more mortgage refinancing.

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Fixed Mortgage Rates Sink to Lowest on Record

Fixed mortgage rates fell to all-time record lows this week following the Federal Reserve's announcement of ""Operation Twist."" Data released by Freddie Mac Thursday puts the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 4.01 percent for the week ending September 29, and the 15-year fixed-rate at 3.28 percent. Interest rates for adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), however, were virtually unchanged. The 5-year ARM averaged 3.02 percent and the 1-year ARM came in at 2.83 percent.

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Mortgage Rates Mixed This Week but Expected to Head Lower

Interest rates on home loans offered up a mixed bag of results this week. Freddie Mac says fixed-rate mortgages showed no change or dipped slightly and adjustable-rate mortgages ticked upward. Even with the inconsistencies, rates remain near their record lows. Those lows may drop farther with the Federal Reserve's announcement Wednesday that it's planning a new buying spree of mortgage-backed securities and Treasuries. Leading indicators in the bond market since the Fed's statement suggest mortgage rates will again start falling.

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New Fed Stimulus: Mortgage Bonds and Treasuries on the Shopping List

Driving home its rationale for new stimulus measures, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday reiterated the pains many Americans are living with every day - economic growth remains slow, unemployment remains elevated, and housing remains depressed. With these and other downside risks holding back recovery, the Federal Reserve says it will begin reinvesting its money into mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and it will purchase another $400 billion in Treasury bonds.

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Mortgage Rates Still Falling

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage both set new record lows this week, according to Freddie Mac's survey released Thursday. Freddie Mac's chief economist believes the new lows are the result of concerns surrounding the European debt market, which has driven investors to the safety of U.S. Treasury bonds and allowed mortgage rates to ease yet again. Freddie Mac puts the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 4.09 percent and the 15-year rate at 3.30 percent.

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Industry Calls for Expanded Refinance Program

At a hearing before a Senate subcommittee this week, witnesses urged Congress to help more underwater homeowners refinance their loans at current, record-low interest rates. The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) allows underwater homeowners with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to refinance their mortgages at lower interest rates. However, the program has helped fewer than 900,000 of the more than 10 million underwater homeowners in the country.

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