Inflation Jitters Push Up Mortgage Rates In Freddie Mac Weekly Survey

February 3, 2006

Trend Now Is For Higher Rates

McLean, VA – Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) Primary Mortgage Market SurveySM (PMMSSM) revealed that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.23 percent, with an average 0.5 point, for the week ending February 2, 2006, up from last week's average of 6.12 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.63 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 5.87 percent this week, with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 5.75 percent. A year ago, the five-year ARM averaged 5.00 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.33 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 5.20 percent. At this time last year, the one-year ARM averaged 4.23 percent.

"Declines in worker productivity coupled with accelerating labor costs increase the threat of inflation down the road. Inflationary pressure generated by these two factors pushes long-term mortgage rates upward, which is why we have seen rates rise these last two weeks," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. "Still, to keep things in perspective, mortgage rates are currently only about one-half a percentage point higher than they were at this time last year.

"Mortgage rates will surely fluctuate in the weeks and months ahead, but the trend now is for higher rates over the long run."

The National Mortgage Rate Snapshop
This Week One Week Ago One Year Ago
30-Yr 15-Yr 5-Yr
ARM		 1-Yr ARM
6.23 5.81 5.87 5.33
0.5 0.5 0.5 0.7
30-Yr 15-Yr 5-Yr
ARM		 1-Yr ARM
6.12 5.70 5.75 5.20
0.5 0.5 0.6 0.6
30-Yr 15-Yr 5-Yr
ARM		 1-Yr ARM
5.63 5.14 5.00 4.23
0.7 0.7 0.6 0.7

Source: Freddie Mac


Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or [email protected].