Fixed Rates Creep Higher

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose from 6.12% to 6.13% over the seven-day period ended Dec. 21, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey.The average 15-year fixed mortgage rate rose from 5.86% to 5.89%, the average rate for five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages climbed from 5.92% to 5.96%, and the average rate for one-year Treasury-indexed ARMs decreased from 5.45% to 5.44%, Freddie Mac reported. Fees and points averaged 0.4 of a point for fixed-rate mortgages, 0.5 of a point for hybrid ARMs, and 0.6 of a point for one-year ARMs. "A quiet week for financial markets translated into a quiet week for mortgage rates as well," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist. ".... What is interesting to note is that the 30-year FRM this week is 1/8 of a percentage point lower than the 30-year FRM was at this time last year. This could bode well for housing in the new year, and indeed we have seen a spike in refinancing activity over the past few weeks as rates have come down." A year ago, the average 30-year and 15-year fixed rates were 6.26% and 5.79%, respectively, and the average hybrid and one-year ARM rates were 5.82% and 5.22%, respectively, Freddie Mac said. Freddie Mac can be found online at http://www.freddiemac.com.