Mortgage rates rise, remain below 5%

WASHINGTON — Rates on 30-year home loans rose this week and were poised to go higher as investors demanded higher rates for long-term government debt, which is closely tied to mortgage rates.

Mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac said Thursday that average rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 4.91 percent this week, from an average of 4.82 percent a week earlier. Rates in Freddie Mac's survey have been below 5 percent for more than two months. If they rise higher, that will diminish the appeal for refinancing for many borrowers.

The yield on the Treasury's 10-year note — a key benchmark for home mortgages and other kinds of loans — reached its highest level since November earlier this week.

The worry is that rising bond yields could drive mortgage rates higher and also increase the cost of borrowing for businesses. That could short-circuit the nation's efforts to emerge from a deep recession and the worst housing crisis in decades.

The federal government is being forced to greatly expand Treasury debt sales to cover a deficit that is projected to soar this year to eye-popping levels. So far, all that new debt had been sold at low interest rates as investors have preferred the safety of Treasury securities in uncertain times.

Mortgage rates "followed long-term bond yields higher this week as financial markets try to discern the state of the economy," Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist, said in a statement.

Freddie Mac collects mortgage rates on Monday through Wednesday of each week from lenders around the country. Rates often fluctuate significantly, even within a given day.

The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.53 percent this week from 4.5 percent last week, according to Freddie Mac.

Rates on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages inched up to 4.82 percent from 4.79 percent last week. Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages fell to 4.69 percent from 4.82 percent.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. The nationwide fee averaged 0.7 point last week for 30-year and 15-year mortgages, and averaged 0.6 point for five year and one-year adjustable rate loans.

Qualifying for a loan, however, is still tough. Lenders have tightened their standards dramatically over the past year, so the best rates are available to those with solid credit.