10-week run: Fixed-rate loans remain below 4 percent

Thirty-year, fixed-rate mortgages continue to hold below 4 percent, often an attractive lure for homebuyers and refinancers.

“In contrast to the volatility in equity markets, the 10-year Treasury rate-a key driver of mortgage rates-varied just a little more than 10 basis points over the last week,” said Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “As a result, the 30-year mortgage rate remained virtually unchanged, dropping 1 basis point to 3.85 percent. This marks the tenth consecutive week of a sub-4-percent mortgage rate.”

Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending Oct. 1:

30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.85 percent, dropping from last week’s 3.86 percent average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.19 percent.

15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.07 percent, dropping from last week’s 3.08 percent average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 3.36 percent.

5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.91 percent, holding the same average as last week. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.06 percent.

1-year ARMs: averaged 2.53 percent, holding the same average as the previous week. A year ago, 1-year ARMs averaged 2.42 percent.