Fixed Rates Decline Further

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 5.82% for the week ending Dec. 19 from 5.88% the previous week, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey.The average 15-year fixed mortgage rate fell from 5.24% to 5.14%, and the average rate for one-year Treasury-indexed adjustable-rate mortgages was unchanged, at 3.77%. Fees and points averaged 0.6 of a point for ARMs and 0.7 of a point for fixed-rate mortgages. "Everyone is looking for inflation to appear, but no one seems able to find it," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist. "Thus, with no inflationary pressure, mortgage rates have continued to slip for the past few weeks, and we expect to see no big change in rates anytime in the foreseeable future." A year ago, the average 30-year and 15-year fixed rates were 6.03% and 5.42%, respectively, and the average one-year ARM rate was 4.07%, Freddie Mac said. Freddie Mac can be found online at http://www.freddiemac.com.