Little to no news was good news on the mortgage front today. After ending last week on an upswing, most rates either eased a basis point (a basis point equals 1/100 of a percent) or remained unchanged. The lone exception was the 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), which jumped 3 basis points to 3.22%.
The 5/1 ARM offers homebuyers a fixed rate for five years, then adjusts based on the prevailing rates at the end of the fixed period. The benchmark used to determine an ARM's interest after the fixed period is generally either the prime rate or the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR).
Here are today's average mortgage rates across the U.S., along with where they stood a month ago.
|
Mortgage Type |
Mortgage Rates Today |
Mortgage Rates 1 Month Ago |
|---|---|---|
|
30-year fixed jumbo |
4.43% |
4.47% |
|
30-year fixed |
3.92% |
3.95% |
|
15-year fixed |
3.12% |
3.13% |
|
30-year fixed refinance |
3.91% |
3.95% |
|
15-year fixed refinance |
3.14% |
3.16% |
|
5/1 ARM |
3.22% |
3.13% |
|
5/1 ARM refinance |
3.32% |
3.28% |
Data source: Bloomberg. National average rates, which may include points.
Mortgage shoppers are enjoying exceedingly low rates compared to what homebuyers faced at the turn of the century. For some perspective, here are the average mortgage rates from May 2000.
|
Mortgage Type |
Mortgage Rates, May 2000 |
|---|---|
|
30-year fixed |
8.52% |
|
15-year fixed |
8.18% |
|
1-year ARM |
7.07% |
Data source: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). Rates do not include points.
For folks considering a home equity line of credit (HELOC) or equity loan, the strong housing market continues to work wonders. HELOC rates eased 1 basis point to 5.31%, and equity loan rates stayed at 5.28%. A month ago, HELOCs were 5.20% and equity loans 5.29%.
