Mortgage rates on 30-year fixed rate loans averaged 3.72% for the week ending January 2nd, 2020, down two basis points from the previous week, according to a Freddie Mac report released Thursday. At the same time, the 15-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell three basis points to a 3.16% average, while the 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage rate rose one basis point to a 3.46% average.
Overall, mortgage rates started off 2020 roughly 80 basis points lower than they were at the start of 2019. “The stability is welcome news after the interest rate turbulence of the last year, which caused a slowdown in the housing market and other interest rate sensitive sectors,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.
If rates remain around historic lows, then that could mean that spring will come early for the home-buying market. “As mortgage rates remain favorable, buyers are likely to get a head start on the spring shopping season in the first couple months of this year,” said George Ratiu, senior economist at Realtor.com.
