Mortgage shoppers got stuck inside an old-fashioned melodrama in the last week.
In the first act, mortgage rates sank as markets digested the federal government’s takeover of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Mortgage shoppers exulted at Uncle Sam’s rescue of Fannie and Freddie. Some dared to hope that rates would fall even lower.
The melodrama’s second act […]

Mortgage rates fell this week as investors grew anxious about corporate earnings. As stock prices fell, bond yields declined, too — and so did mortgage rates.
The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 5 basis points, to 6.48 percent, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large lenders. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point. […]

Rate: 6.52 percent (30-year fixed) Average points: 0.41
Fixed-rate mortgages soared this week and are now at their highest level in nearly 10 months.
The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped 26 basis points, to 6.52 percent. A basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point.
The average 15-year fixed — a popular option for refinancing — shot up […]

Mortgage rates continued to ride the seesaw this week, down one week and up the next. This time, it was their turn to go up.
The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose 7 basis points, to 6.03 percent, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large lenders. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point. The […]

Mortgage rates were split this week, with the 30-year fixed falling to its lowest level in more than six weeks.
The average 30-year fixed rate fell 3 basis points from the previous week, to 5.95 percent. A basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point. The 30-year fixed has now fallen 44 basis points […]