Fox Business reports that, as of
June 17th 2013, mortgage rates had risen for six straight weeks. In early May,
the fixed rate was 3.52%. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage further increased from 4.1% to 4.14% within the past week (Bankrate.com). Until the first week of June, the fixed rate
had been below 4% since May 2012, an entire year earlier. Mortgage rates are no
longer near record lows, as markets react to the supposition that the Fed may
soon reduce its $85-billion-per-month bond-buying program. This program has
helped keep rates low; however, once the Fed determines that the economy has
recovered well enough to support itself, the program may be reduced or
abolished altogether.
While
it's unlikely rates will return to their recent lows, they may stabilize. John
Stearns, a mortgage banker for American Fidelity Mortgage Services in Mequon,
Wisconsin, claims that 4% for a 30-year fixed is going to become standard.
The
recent increase in mortgage rates has caused some people to urgently refinance
their homes, as they are concerned rates will continue to increase. Jim
Sahnger, a mortgage loan originator for FBC Mortgage in Jupiter, Florida,
points out that mortgage rates are constantly changing, and that what someone
can get today may not be available tomorrow.
There are different ways to interpret this news. While the latest rates are nearly half a
percentage point more than rates were this time last year, they are still much lower
than the 6-7% people with older loans may still be paying.
Read the full article here.
