Fixed-rate mortgages continued to drop this week, lowering borrowing costs for home buyers.
“Following a mild decline last week, the 10-year Treasury yield rose 1 basis point this week,” says Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “The 30-year mortgage rate similarly remained relatively flat, falling just 1 basis point to 3.89 percent. Mortgage rates are continuing to hold at low levels amidst ongoing economic uncertainty.”
Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending Aug. 17:
- 30-year fixed rate mortgages: averaged 3.89 percent, with an average 0.4 point, dropping from last week’s 3.90 percent average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 3.43 percent.
- 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.16 percent, with an average 0.5 point, falling from last week’s 3.18 percent average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 2.74 percent.
- 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 3.16 percent, with an average 0.4 point, rising from last week’s 3.14 percent average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 2.76 percent.
Source: Freddie Mac
