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The Freddie Mac Primary Market Mortgage Survey for the week ending April 6, 2006 showed interest rates up for 30-year Fixed Rate Mortgages (FRMs), 15-year FRMs, 1-year Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) and 5-year hybrid ARMs. The long term rates are approximately half-a-pecent above the same period last year, while the 5-year rate is 0.78 percent above last year and the 1-year ARM is running 1.34% above the same time last year.

Freddie Mac’s chief economist blamed rate increases on fear of inflation:

In the first quarter of 2006, it appears that economic growth picked up relative to the last three months of 2005. There is concern that the continued high level of energy cost may lead to inflation in other sectors of the economy, and fear of inflation leads to higher mortgage rates, like the ones we see this week.

Average Rates:

30-year FRM: 6.43%, 0.6 points
15-year FRM: 6.10%, 0.5 points
5-year ARM: 6.11%, 0.6 points
1-year ARM: 5.57%, 0.7 points

Average rates are based on a typical Freddie Mac 80% LTV loan. This means a loan amount no more than 80% of the property value as determined by the lower of the purchase price or appraised value. Typically this means a 20% down payment, though an 80% loan can also be achieved with a second mortgage carried by the seller or a third party lender for the difference between the actual down payment and 20%.

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STRONG ECONOMIC GROWTH KEEPS UPWARD PRESSURE ON MORTGAGE RATES

McLean, VA – Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market SurveySM (PMMSSM) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.43 percent, with an average 0.6 point, for the week ending April 6, 2006, up from last week’s average of 6.35 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.93 percent.

The average for the 15-year FRM this week is 6.10 percent, with an average 0.5 point, up from last week’s average of 6.00 percent. A year ago, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.48 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 6.11 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 6.02 percent. A year ago, the five-year ARM averaged 5.33 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.57 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 5.51 percent. At this time last year, the one-year ARM averaged 4.23 percent.

“In the first quarter of 2006, it appears that economic growth picked up relative to the last three months of 2005. There is concern that the continued high level of energy cost may lead to inflation in other sectors of the economy,” said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. “And fear of inflation leads to higher mortgage rates, like the ones we see this week.”

“Our forecast for the year as a whole is for economic growth of 3.8 percent in 2006, above the 3.2 percent in 2005, which may warrant even more Fed rate hikes than previously expected. If that is the case, mortgage rates may continue their gradual upward trend.”

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