Skip to Content

Mortgage rates hit 50-year lows and it likely won't matter

Text SizeAAA

Filed under: Credit, Real Estate, Recession, Mortgages, Refinancing, In the News

The good news: Mortgage rates dropped to their lowest levels in more than 50 years.

The bad news: You need to have a job and impeccable credit to get them.

The average 30-year fixed loan rate tumbled to 4.69% this week, down from 4.75% last week, Freddie Mac reported. These are the lowest rates since the mortgage giant began keeping records in 1971 and the last time rates were lower was in the 1950s.

Nobody expects the falling rates to matter much. They aren't likely to snap the housing market back to life. And they aren't likely to benefit anyone who is unemployed, underemployed or who has had their credit rating dinged in the recession.Sales of new homes fell 33% after the federal tax credit incentives expired at the end of April and while existing home sales are still showing better numbers, experts say those numbers are being buoyed by the tax credit buyers still in the pipeline and trying to close escrow.

As long as prospective home buyers are worried about their financial well-being and job security, many will be reluctant to take the plunge, Greg McBride, senior financial analyst with Bankrate.com, told MSNBC.

The falling rates are tied to investors nervous about Europe's debt crisis and the global economy and who have shifted their money into safe Treasury bonds. Mortgage rates generally track Treasury bonds.

.................................................

We need your input for an upcoming WalletPop feature ...

Tell us which pharmacy/drug store you love (or hate) and why.

Your submission will be considered for inclusion in our article!


....................................................

Subscribe to Walletpop

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

Mortgage Basics

 

    Featured Partner

    What is Your Home Worth?



    Interest Rates

    • Current
    • +3.39%
    • +4.33%
    • +7.29%
    • +6.16%
    • +1.09%
    • Apr
    • +3.34%
    • +4.51%
    • 0.00%
    • 0.00%
    • +1.09%

    Interest Rates Provided by Bankrate.com

    Compare Rates in Your Area

    Headlines from WalletPop Partners