The average rate on a 30-year mortgage was unchanged this week in metro Atlanta, while rates for shorter-term loans and loans for high-priced homes rose noticeably.
The overall trend of higher mortgage rates continued, both locally and nationally. All eyes will be on Federal Reserve policymakers when they meet next Tuesday and Wednesday. Their decisions on whether further economic stimulation is needed may affect the direction of rates for long-term loans.
Polyana da Costa, a senior mortgage analyst at Bankrate.com, which tracks rates, said she is not seeing signs that homebuyers are having a harder time getting loans because of rising rates. But higher rates could affecthow much home a buyer can afford, especially in high-cost areas.
Da Costa saidprospective buyers should shop around for loans. “I always recommend applying at one national lender, a regional lender and a mortgage brokerage,” she said.
The average for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage in metro Atlanta rose to 3.66 percent from 3.55 percent last week, Bankrate reported. The benchmark hybrid 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage rose to 3.52 percent from 3.46 percent. The hybrid mortgage carries a fixed rate for a specific period, in this case five years, and an adjustable rate for the remainder of the loan.
The average rate for a 30-year jumbo mortgage for homebuyers in the market for high-priced homes also rose this week, to 4.8 percent from 4.77 percent.
The average rate for a 30-year mortgage remained at 5.8 percent.
Discount and origination points, which are prepaid expenses on the mortgage, rose to an average total of 0.65, from 0.6 last week.
Not only are metro homebuyers being hit with higher mortgage rates, home prices and closing costs are also on the rise in a market where there is a shortage of homes for sale. The squeeze is also putting pressure on apartment rents.
