WASHINGTON – Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages moved closer to historic lows this week.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage declined to 3.51 percent from 3.56 percent last week. That’s near the 3.31 percent rate reached in November, the lowest on records dating to 1971.
The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage slipped to 2.76 percent from 2.77 last week. The record low is 2.63 percent.
The lowest mortgage rates in decades have helped the housing market recover. More people are buying homes, which has pushed up home prices. And ultra-low rates have encouraged more people to refinance.
That often lowers monthly mortgage payments and leaves consumers with more spending money.
A measure of the number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes rose in January from December to the highest level in more than 21/2 years, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday.
New-home sales jumped 16 percent last month from December to the highest level since July 2008, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.
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