For the fifth straight week, mortgage rates inched down again--this time reaching the lowest level of the year as well as lowest year-to-date. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.61 percent this week, while the 15-year rate averaged 3.80 percent, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey.
The 30-year mortgage hasn’t reached 4.61 percent or below since December 2010. Last year at this time, it averaged 4.84 percent while the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.24 percent.
The falling rates may be yet another lure to buyers during real estate’s traditionally prime home buying season. Owning a home has also recently been found to be more affordable than renting in 78 percent of the major U.S. cities, according to the latest data from Trulia.