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Tag Archives: Mortgage Rates

Report: LIBOR Scandal May Have Cost GSEs More Than $3B

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may have lost billions of dollars as a result of borrowing rate manipulation, according to a report from the Office of the Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA-OIG). The banking world was rocked in late June as it was revealed that traders at Barclays spent years rigging the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor), a global interest rate at which banks lend money to each other. As those probes continue, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may have sustained more than $3 billion in losses from the rate-rigging.

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HARP Refis Maintain Strong Pace as Rates Stay Low

Year-to-date, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have refinanced nearly 800,000 loans through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported Thursday. Since HARP's 2009 inception, the program has refinanced 1.8 million loans, with 790,619 of those loans refinanced in 2012 as of October. In October alone, more than 81,613 homeowners were refinanced through the program. Underwater loans continued to find relief through the program, with a little less than half of the loans refinanced in October in negative equity.

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Freddie Mac Reports Mixed Reaction for Rates

Mortgage rates went in both directions this week as investors mulled over recently released data on inflation and housing construction. According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.37 percent, up from the previous week's 3.32 percent. On the other hand, the 15-year fixed fell one basis point to 2.65 percent. Bankrate's weekly national survey of mortgage rates saw its biggest week-to-week increase since March, with the benchmark 30-year fixed averaging 3.62 percent--a 10-basis point jump.

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Fixed Rates See Slight Changes, Hover Near Record Lows

Fixed mortgage rates made small movements this week as fiscal cliff negotiations seemed to stall. According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage(FRM) interest rate averaged 3.32 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending December 13, down slightly from 3.34 percent the previous week. The 15-year FRM this week averaged 2.66 percent (0.6 point), down week-to-week from 2.67 percent.

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FOMC Ties Fed Funds Rate to Unemployment

Despite recent improvements in the unemployment rate and housing, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Wednesday voted to continue its program of purchasing $40 million a month of mortgage backed securities and to maintain the target Fed Funds rate at 0 to 0.25 percent. The FOMC vote was 11-1 with only Richmond Fed President Jeffery M. Lacker dissenting.

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Freddie Mac: What to Expect from Housing in 2013

Freddie Mac made suggestions on what housing might look like in 2013 in its December outlook report. Overall, the GSE expects to see a continuation of positive trends. For one, property values should still rise into the next year and are likely to increase by 2 to 3 percent, Freddie Mac reported. The market should also see more households, with household formation expected to expand from a net 1.20 million to 1.25 million households.

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Fixed Rates Move Little, Stay Near Record Lows

Fixed mortgage rates stayed relatively calm this week as economic indicators showed improved strength, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The 30-year fixed averaged 3.34 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending December 6, up from the previous week's average of 3.32 percent. This week's average is only three basis points up from the survey's record low (achieved the week ending November 21). While Freddie Mac's survey showed increases in fixed rates, Bankrate's weekly survey saw them slipping to new lows.

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Mortgage Rates Settle Near Record Lows as Fiscal Cliff Talks Persist

Fixed mortgage rates showed little signs of movement in the last full week of November, hovering near record lows as market worries heightened over the impending fiscal cliff. Freddie Mac puts the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 3.32 percent and the 15-year rate at 2.64 percent. Analysts say uncertainty surrounding the fiscal cliff has businesses, consumers, and financial markets all feeling uncertain themselves, which will keep mortgage rates at these levels as long as talks drag on in Washington.

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October New Home Sales Dip After Downward Revision for September

New home sales barely budged in October, dropping 0.37 percent to 368,000 after September’s report was revised sharply downward from an original 389,000 to 369,000, Census Bureau and HUD reported Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected the report to show a sales pace of 387,000.

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Agencies Target Companies for Tactics Used in Mortgage Ads

Two federal agencies partnered up to let certain companies know their mortgage advertising tactics may be unlawful. On Monday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced letters were issued over potentially misleading advertisements that target veterans and older Americans. The CFPB sent about a dozen warning letters to mortgage lenders and brokers, and the FTC sent 20 letters to real estate agents, home builders, and lead generators.

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