New Record Low Rates! The average fixed mortgage rate found new record lows, as the 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 3.84 percent, down from last week when it averaged 3.88 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year fixed rate averaged 4.71 percent. The 15-year fixed rate mortgage this week averaged 3.07 percent, down from last week when it averaged 3.12 percent. A year ago around this time, the 15 year fixed rate mortgage averaged 3.89 percent.
"Signs of slowing economic growth and inflation remaining subdued allowed yields on Treasury bonds to ease somewhat and brought most mortgage rates to new all-time record lows this week," said Frank Nothaft, the vice president and chief economist of Freddie Mac. "Real Gross Domestic Product rose at an annualized rate of 2.2 percent in the first quarter of this year, down from the previous quarter of 3.0 percent and below the market consensus forecast of 2.5 percent. In addition, the 12-month growth in the core price index of personal consumption expenditures was 2.0 percent in March which matches the Federal Reserve's implied inflation target."
