Mortgage interest rates have earned their way into the hottest topics of discussion lately, and since the recent presidential election, mortgage interest rates seem to have a mind of their own. In the months leading up to the election, mortgage interest rates were near an all-time low. In fact, the 30-year mortgage interest rate during that time was the second lowest point on record for the country, hovering around 3.44%. This was just outside the lowest recorded point in the country’s history, which was right around 3.350% – recorded approximately 3 years earlier.
Since the presidential election, mortgage interest rates have been nothing short of volatile. In fact, on many days shortly following the election, rates were changing so frequently that many lenders temporarily restricted access to their pricing engines and stopped publishing rates until the volatility settled. For the month of November, the 30-year mortgage interest rate shot up to 3.77 from 3.47 in October; this was the single largest increase in the 30-year monthly average in over three years. Per Freddie Mac’s most recent market study effective 12/1/16, the current average 30-year mortgage interest rate is just shy of 4.10%.
So, are mortgage interest rates high? Well taking into perspective historical mortgage interest rates, not at all. In all reality, a 4.10% interest rate is still extremely low. Imagine having a mortgage interest rate at 18%… Well that’s what they were around in the early 80’s. Yes, an 18% interest rate was uncommon, but double digit rates weren’t. In fact, from late 1978 until 1991, the average 30-year mortgage rate over that time was right around 12.30%. The return of the single digit interest rate came in 1991 and we haven’t seen double digit rates since. In addition, we haven’t seen the 30-year monthly average above 6% since September 2008 – above 7% since January, 2002 – or above 8% since August 1996.
So are rates going up? They have over the last couple months. How long will they continue to go up or how high will they go? People may have their opinions, but no one knows. What we do know though, is that rates are still historically extremely low and housing affordability remains high – now is still a good time to buy!
Source of historic interest rates: http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/pmms30.htm
