Mortgage rates were up during the week ended March 5 according to the results of Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey.
The 30-year fixed rate mortgage (FRM) which had averaged 5.07 percent the previous week increased to 5.15 percent. Fees and points were unchanged at 0.7 point.
The average rate on 15-year FRMs was 4.72 percent with 0.7 point compared to 4.68 percent with 0.7 point a week earlier.
The five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) increased two basis points to 5.08 percent but fees and points declined from 0.7 to 0.6.
One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 4.86 percent this week with 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.81 percent with 0.6 point.
"Mortgage rates followed bond yields higher this week following reports of record continuing jobless claims and a downward revision in economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2008," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. "Real Gross Domestic Product was revised from a 3.8 percent decline to a 6.2 percent drop in the fourth quarter mostly led by a 4.3 percent fall in consumer spending, which was the largest decrease since the second quarter of 1980. Fore more visit http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/03052009_Mortgage_Rates.asp
A flight to safety rally in the Treasury market led "down in coupon" MBS bids higher today. TSYs outperformed MBS by as much as 10-20 ticks though (spreads wider). Originators were light sellers while the Fed easily ate up any excess production today. Asia remains steady support of GNs. Details www.mortgagenewsdaily.com
Home Mortgage News
In Washington, homeowners who cannot obtain traditional financing turn to the Nevada Microenterprise Initiative, which loaned $400,000 to 29 small-business owners in 2004, up from 26 loans for a total of $366,000 in 2003.
Loan defaults rose tremendously in 2007 but mortgage loan applications began to rise again in 2008 which indicates we may see a real estate recovery in 2009 and 2010. Home loan closings are down nationally but President George Bush has put some heat on Congress and Senate to raise the conforming loan limits in 2008. The president has also backed the new FHA reform loans that should thousands of homeowners refinance into a fixed rate mortgage that makes sense with their current income levels.