US 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rate slips to 3.93 per cent

WASHINGTON – The rate on 30-year fixed-rate U.S. mortgages slipped to 3.93 per cent this week.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the benchmark 30-year home loan rate was down from 3.94 per cent last week and 4.16 per cent a year ago.

The rate on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, popular with those refinancing their homes, was unchanged this week at 3.36 per cent. It was 3.37 per cent a year ago.

The rate on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages rose to 3.36 per cent from 3.35 per cent last week and 3.19 per cent a year ago.

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates for the third time in 2017. “The market had already priced in the rate hike, so long-term interest rates, including mortgage rates, hardly moved,” said Len Kiefer, a Freddie Mac economist.

To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country between Monday and Wednesday each week. The average doesn’t include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 per cent of the loan amount.

The average fee for a 30-year mortgage was unchanged at 0.5 point. The fee on 15-year home loans also remained at 0.5 point. The fee on an adjustable five-year mortgage was unchanged at 0.3 point.