Fixed Rates Fall Again

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell from 6.20% to 6.10% over the seven-day period ended Nov. 29, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey.The average 15-year fixed mortgage rate fell from 5.83% to 5.73%, the average rate for five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages declined from 5.88% to 5.86%, and the average rate for one-year Treasury-indexed ARMs rose from 5.42% to 5.43%, Freddie Mac reported. Fees and points averaged 0.5 of a point for fixed-rate mortgages and hybrid ARMs and 0.7 of a point for one-year ARMs. "Interest rates for U.S. Treasury securities have been drifting lower this month over market concerns that the housing slump and stress in the credit markets could slow future economic growth," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist. "As a result, interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages had room to slip lower this week." A year ago, the average 30-year and 15-year fixed rates were 6.14% and 5.87%, respectively, and the average hybrid and one-year ARM rates were 5.95% and 5.46%, Freddie Mac said. Freddie can be found online at http://www.freddiemac.com.