Dreams Of Affordability Crushed As Rates Rise Again

Mortgage rates spiked again last week, contributing to housing becoming less affordable than before the bubble burst in the 2000s. Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.23%, up from 7.09%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.55%. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage also increased to 6.55% from 6.46%. A year ago, it averaged 4.85%. “The economy continues to do better than expected and the 10-year Treasury yield has moved up, causing mortgage rates to climb,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. Khater expects economic strength to keep rates elevated in the short term, leading to further declines in home resale. A strong jobs report recently sent treasury yields higher, putting…