“The Fed’s decision to stand pat followed by a week of assorted unsettling news drove Treasury yields lower,” says Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “As a consequence, the 30-year mortgage rate drifted down to 3.61 percent, just 3 basis points above the low for the year. Since the start of February, mortgage rates have varied within a narrow range, providing an extended period for house hunters to take advantage of historically low rates.”
Freddie Mac reports the following national averages for the week ending May 5:
- 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.61 percent, with an average 0.6 point, dropping from last week’s 3.66 percent average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 3.80 percent.
- 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 2.86 percent, with an average 0.5 point, falling from last week’s 2.89 percent average. Last year at this time, 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.02 percent.
Source: Freddie Mac