Long-term mortgage rates rise in week

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose in the week ending Thursday, climbing further away from recent record lows, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. said.

While the historic low for 30-year, fixed rate mortgages was set Nov. 21, 2012, rates for 30-year loans rose to their highest point in eight weeks this week, Freddie Mac said.

In the week, the average 30-year fixed mortgage interest rate rose from 3.34 percent to 3.4 percent with an average 0.7 points, Freddie Mac said.

One point is equal to one percent of the amount of the loan and is typically paid up front. It includes a corresponding discount on the loan's long-term interest rates.

Interest rates for 30-year, fixed-rate loans were at 3.89 percent in the same week a year earlier.

Interest rates for 15-year fixed rate loans rose from 2.64 percent to 2.66 percent with an average 0.7 points. The average rate for 15-year loans with fixed rates stood at 3.16 percent a year earlier.

Rates for five-year adjustable rate mortgages slipped in the week from 2.71 percent to 2.67 percent with an average of 0.6 points. A year earlier, rates for these loans averaged 2.82 percent.

One-year adjustable rate mortgages using 10-year bonds as a benchmark, averaged 2.6 percent with 0.5 points in the week, up from 2.57 percent last week.

One-year Treasury-indexed loans were at 2.76 percent in the same week of 2012.

"Fixed mortgage rates increased slightly following a positive employment report for December. The economy added 155,000 jobs, above the consensus market forecast, and November's job growth was revised upward by another 24,000 workers," said Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist Frank Nothaft in a statement.