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.”
Freddie Mac reports the following national averages 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.
Source: Freddie Mac