Just when we thought mortgage rates couldn’t get any more enticing, they’ve dropped to the lowest average this year.
Freddie Mac reports that a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage slipped to 3.48 percent—down from 3.56 percent the week before, and just a short distance from the 3.31 percent all-time record low in November 2012. At the same time last year, the 30-year, fixed rate was 4.08 percent.
The 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage is averaging 2.78 percent, down from 2.83 percent the week before. Last year’s rate was 3.24 percent.
There seems to be a sort of “butterfly effect” happening here. Britain’s vote to exit the 28-nation European Union could spark demand in real estate in the United States, according to National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. Global corporations who were eyeing the U.K. might now perceive “Brexit” as sign of instability.
“Mortgage rates will tumble,” says Greg McBridge, Bankrate.com’s Chief Financial Analyst, “possibly hitting new record lows. If you’re a borrower, don’t wait to lock in your rate, as this opportunity may not last long.”’
Steve Rick, Chief Economist of the CUNA Mutual Group agrees. “This would create another mini refinance mortgage boom at financial institutions as homeowners rush to lock in near-historic low interest rates.”
Some market watchers are expecting that Brexit’s impact could last awhile, as the repercussions spread. The vote to leave the EU has already had a positive impact on the value of the U.S. dollar, in light of the British pound plummeting.
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