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For Immediate Release

October 16, 2008
Contact: corprel@freddiemac.com
or (703) 903-3933

 

MORTGAGE RATES SHOOT UP FOLLOWING BOND YIELDS

Only the 1-Year ARM Remains Nearly Unchanged From Last Week

McLean, VA – Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.46 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending October 16, 2008, up from last week when it averaged 5.94 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.40 percent. This week's increase of 52 basis points was the largest weekly increase since the week ending April 17, 1987, when the 30-year FRM rose 84 basis points.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 6.14 percent with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 5.63 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 6.08 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 6.14 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 5.90 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 6.11 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.16 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 5.15 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.76 percent.

(Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total cost of obtaining the mortgage.)

"Interest rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose this week to an 8-week high," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. "ARM rates, which tend to be based on shorter-term benchmarks, showed smaller gains in part due to the Federal Reserve's October 8 inter-meeting rate cut in the overnight lending rate.

"Recent economic reports suggest the economy is still slowing. For instance, retail sales fell for the third consecutive month by 1.2 percent in September. In addition, in its latest Beige Book, released October 15th, the Federal Reserve indicated that economic activity weakened in September across all twelve Federal Reserve Districts and that several Districts also noted that their contacts had become more pessimistic about the economic outlook."

Freddie Mac is a stockholder-owned corporation established by Congress in 1970 to support homeownership and rental housing. Freddie Mac purchases single-family and multifamily residential mortgages and mortgage-related securities, which it finances primarily by issuing mortgage-related securities and debt instruments in the capital markets. Over the years, Freddie Mac has made home possible more than 50 million times, ensuring financing for one in six homebuyers and more than four million renters.


 

SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS

Fixed-Rate Mortgages
  Average Conventional 30-Year Commitment Rate Fees & Points Average Conventional 15-Year Commitment Rate Fees & Points
US 6.46 0.6 6.14 0.6
Northeast 6.47 0.6 6.16 0.6
Southeast 6.51 0.6 6.21 0.7
N. Central 6.48 0.4 6.22 0.4
Southwest 6.50 0.5 6.21 0.5
West 6.37 0.7 5.99 0.7

Five/One-Year Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
  First Commitment Rate Fees & Points Margin
US 6.14 0.6 2.74
Northeast 5.92 0.5 2.74
Southeast 6.14 0.9 2.75
N. Central 6.59 0.4 2.74
Southwest 6.31 0.6 2.76
West 6.02 0.7 2.72

One-Year Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
  First Commitment Rate Fees & Points Margin
US 5.16 0.6 2.73
Northeast 4.80 0.5 2.72
Southeast 5.31 0.8 2.75
N. Central 5.21 0.2 2.71
Southwest 5.77 0.7 2.80
West 5.08 0.6 2.71

Freddie Mac defines its regions as follows:

Northeast: NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT
Southeast: NC, SC, TN, KY, GA, AL, FL, MS, PR, VI
North Central: OH, IN, IL, MI, WI, MN, IA, ND, SD
Southwest: TX, LA, NM, OK, AR, MO, KS, CO, NE, WY
West: CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, UT, ID, MT, HI, AK, GU

Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) is for informational purposes only and Freddie Mac is not responsible for business decisions made based on the reported results of the PMMS. Freddie Mac may change the methodology used to conduct the PMMS survey at any time and without notice.

DEFINITIONS

Commitment Rate is the interest rate a lender would charge to lend mortgage money to a qualified borrower exclusive of the fees and points required by the lender. This commitment rate applies only to conventional financing on conforming mortgages with loan-to-value rates of 80 percent or less.

ARM Index - is the One-year Treasury

Loan to Value Ratio (LTV) is the ratio of the loan amount of a mortgage loan to the lower of the appraisal value or purchase price of the property securing the loan.

Origination Fees and Discount Points are the total charged by the lender at settlement. One point equals one percent of the loan amount.

Margin is a fixed amount added to the underlying index to establish the fully indexed rate for an ARM.

Weighted Averages for the Primary Mortgage Market Survey have been adjusted as of October 16, 2008. The new weights use the dollar volume of conventional mortgage originations within the 1-unit Freddie Mac loan limit as reported under Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) for 2007. The weights are listed in the table below.

Freddie Mac Region PMMS Weights
Northeast 24.2
Southeast 19.8
North Central 15.1
Southwest 12.7
West 28.2

 

PRIMARY MORTGAGE MARKET SURVEY RESULTS
October 16, 2008

30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages
  US NE SE NC SW W
Average 6.46 6.47 6.51 6.48 6.50 6.37
Fees & Points 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.7

15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages
  US NE SE NC SW W
Average 6.14 6.16 6.21 6.22 6.21 5.99
Fees & Points 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.7

5/1-Year Adjustable Rate Mortgages
  US NE SE NC SW W
Average 6.14 5.92 6.14 6.59 6.31 6.02
Fees & Points 0.6 0.5 0.9 0.4 0.6 0.7
Margin 2.74 2.74 2.75 2.74 2.76 2.72

1-Year Adjustable Rate Mortgages
  US NE SE NC SW W
Average 5.16 4.80 5.31 5.21 5.77 5.08
Fees & Points 0.6 0.5 0.8 0.2 0.7 0.6
Margin 2.73 2.72 2.75 2.71 2.80 2.71


The National Mortgage Rate Snapshot
 
One Year Ago
One Week Ago
  30-YR 15-YR 5/1-YR 1-YR ARM 30-YR 15-YR 5/1-YR 1-YR ARM
Average 6.40 6.08 6.11 5.76 5.94 5.63 5.90 5.15
Fees & Points 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6
Margin N/A N/A 2.76 2.76 N/A N/A 2.74 2.76



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