Fixed Rates Hold Steady

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was unchanged, at 6.18%, over the seven-day period ended Jan. 4, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey.The average 15-year fixed mortgage rate crept up from 5.93% to 5.94%, the average rate for five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages climbed from 5.98% to 6.02%, and the average rate for one-year Treasury-indexed ARMs decreased from 5.47% to 5.42%, Freddie Mac reported. Fees and points averaged 0.4 of a point for fixed-rate mortgages and hybrid ARMs and 0.6 of a point for one-year ARMs. "Interest rates were flat this past week, reflecting the mixed messages from recent economic indicators," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist. "The recently released manufacturing report showed an improvement, and while construction spending for November was down, it was still better than expected. On the other hand, a private-sector employment report suggested that the labor market was weaker than anticipated." A year ago, the average 30-year and 15-year fixed rates were 6.21% and 5.76%, respectively, and the average hybrid and one-year ARM rates were 5.78% and 5.16%, respectively, Freddie Mac said. Freddie Mac can be found online at http://www.freddiemac.com.