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Mortgage rates down as inflation fears ease

by Morgan on May 15, 2008

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Mortgage interest rates dropped as fears of inflation eased.  Adjustable rate mortgages were helped the most.  The Fed’s aggressive posture and track record for action (i.e. Bear Stearns, liquidity injections, rate cuts), and led by stability of the dollar and tamer-than-expected inflation data all helped the cause.

From Market Watch on mortgage rates:

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.01% for the week ending May 15, down from last week’s 6.05% average, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly survey. The mortgage averaged 6.15% a year ago.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 5.57% this week, down from 5.67% last week. The ARM averaged 5.89% a year ago. And 1-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.18% this week, down from last week’s 5.29% average. The ARM averaged 5.48% a year ago.
To obtain the rates, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and the 5-year ARM required payment of an average 0.6 point. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage required an average 0.5 point and the 1-year ARM required an average 0.7 point. A point is 1% of the mortgage amount, charged as prepaid interest.
“Fed Chairman Bernanke indicated in a speech on May 13 that the Fed stands ready to continue to add liquidity to the markets,” Nothaft said in a news release. “On the same day, San Francisco Fed bank president Janet Yellen added that she anticipates inflation will slow as commodity prices level off in the second half of the year.”

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  • Marc Authier
    All that on phony baloney CPI rates that are a scandal. Those who lend the money a damn stupid. Lower inflation ? Bull ! So these morons really believe the core inflation rate crap by the Labour Department ? What a bunch of morons !
  • I agree - look at prices on the streets. Bread's doubled, gas is quickly
    headed to $5/gallon. No inflation? Tough to believe.
  • Rebecca
    Let's face it, the Fed Funds rate can't go any lower. What more can they do? Also, when you look at mortgage trends for the past 3 years, now is the lowest rates have been for fixed rate mortgages. This is a good time to pounce on a low rate if you are looking to refinance. The rates for fixed rate mortgages have been volatile. Honestly, they could go back up tomorrow. Seems press is making a big deal about the 30-year fixed, but the ARMs are REALLY good now, too. But your credit generally has to be better. (People think that ARMS are bad because of all this sub prime stuff. But most people actually move before the rates will adjust higher.) You can see the difference in monthly payments between Fixed Rate and ARMs here: https://www.quickenloans.com/mortgage-calculato...
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