Borrowers found some relief for the second consecutive week with lower mortgage rates.
“After dropping earlier this week on trade-related anxiety in financial markets, the benchmark 10-year Treasury stabilized on Wednesday, but at a level slightly lower than from the start of last week,” explains Len Kiefer, Freddie Mac’s deputy chief economist. “Mortgage rates followed and fell for the second consecutive week. … Though rates on the 30-year fixed mortgage are up 0.3 percentage points from the same week a year ago, a robust labor market is helping home purchase demand weather modestly higher rates.”
The Mortgage Bankers Association reported in its latest Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey that its index for home purchase applications is up 5 percent from a year ago “indicating that this spring is on track for a modest expansion in purchase mortgage activity,” Kiefer adds.
Freddie Mac reported the following national averages for the week ending April 5:
- 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 4.40 percent, with an average 0.5 point, dropping from last week’s 4.44 percent average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.10 percent.
- 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.87 percent, with an average 0.4 point, dropping from last week’s 3.90 percent average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 3.36 percent.
- 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 3.62 percent, with an average 0.4 point, falling from last week’s 3.66 percent average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.19 percent.
Source: Freddie Mac
