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 4.91 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending May 28, 2009, up from last week when it averaged 4.82 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.08 percent.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 4.53 percent with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.50 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.66 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 4.82 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.79 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 5.62 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 4.69 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.82 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.22 percent. The 1-year ARM has not been lower since the week ending September 29, 2005, when it averaged 4.68 percent.

"Fixed-rate mortgage rates followed long-term bond yields higher this week as financial markets try to discern the state of the economy," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. "Consumer confidence rose again in May and represented the largest two-month rally since records began in 1967. According to the National Association for Business Economics, the consensus of a recent survey of 45 professional forecasters called for the recession to end in the second half of this year, but the recovery is to be more moderate than the previous survey."

"Housing continues to be a drag on the economy, however. Although single-family existing home sales rose 2.5 percent in April, inventories of homes for sale also rose to 9.6 months from 9.0 in March, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Moreover, the NAR noted that sales of distressed homes made up 45 percent of the purchases in April. Such types of sales mixed with a large supply of unsold homes keep depressing house prices. For example, a new research report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency found that sales of distressed homes accelerated the measured decline in California's home values by 5.3% from the peak in 2006 through the first quarter of 2009."

Published: May 29, 2009

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