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		Mortgage News You Can Use Posted on Thu, Jan. 29, 2004   Mortgage Rates Around the Country Rise JEANNINE AVERSA Associated Press WASHINGTON - Mortgage rates around the country rose this week amid speculation on Wall Street about when the Federal Reserve may begin to push up short-term interest rates. The average rate on 30-year mortgages increased to 5.68 percent, up from 5.64 percent last week, Freddie Mac, the mortgage giant, said Thursday in its weekly nationwide survey of mortgage rates. Rates on 30-year mortgages have bounced around after sinking to a four-decade low of 5.21 percent in the middle of June. For 15-year mortgages, a popular option for refinancing, rates rose to 4.97 percent this week, up from 4.95 percent last week. Rates for one-year adjustable mortgages increased to 3.59 percent compared to 3.56 percent last week. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and his colleagues on Wednesday decided to hold a main short-term interest rate at a 45-year low of 1 percent, but they dropped a pledge to keep rates at near rock-bottom levels for a "considerable period." That prompted investors on Wall Street to believe that rates would move up sooner than they previously thought. "Mortgage rates were basically unchanged leading up to the (Fed's) announcement that opened the door to the possibility the Fed would raise rates sooner than expected," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist. "Following the policy statement, bond yields shot up, taking mortgage rates with them, raising the prospect that mortgage rates will be even higher next week," he said. The nationwide averages for mortgage rates do not include add-on fees known as points. Thirty-year and 15-year mortgages each carried an average fee of 0.7 point this week, while one-year ARMs carried an average fee of 0.6 point. A year ago, rates on 30-year mortgages averaged 5.90 percent, 15-year mortgages were 5.28 percent and one-year adjustable mortgages stood at 3.89 percent. Home sales reached record high levels in 2003 powered by low mortgage rates that proved too good for buyers to pass up. Economists predict home sales will slow this year as mortgage rates creep up.   Economist forecast interest rates rise Australians continue to borrow strongly despite recent interest rate rises. The latest figures from the Reserve Bank of Australia show private sector credit rose by 1.2 per cent in December. That has pushed the annual rate of growth to 15.5 per cent, a 14-year high. Westpac Bank senior economist Andrew Hanlan says today's figures support the case for another rate rise as early as next week. "Certainly there is some doubt, inflation numbers at the moment are very good and also we're seeing the currency move higher which will have some negative impact on exporters' competitiveness," he said. 'But at the end of the day it's very much a very strong global outlook and it's going to be a stellar year for the global economy, and in that sort of environment interest rates should move higher."   Continue with: U.S. consumers cheered by stronger economy U.S. economic growth below expectations in 4th qtr Index of US economy dips but growth up-report Early COMEX gold firms after GDP disappoints dollar Japan spends record US$67.5 billion in January to stem yen's rise against U.S. dollar New York NAPM: Economy Up In Jan For Fifth Straight Month New York city economy improved in January - report University of Chicago Economist Sees Warning Signs Economic Expansion Slows G7 positions on dollar ahead of Florida meeting U.S. Economy Grew at Slower-Than-Forecast 4 Percent Rate in Fourth Quarter Economy Grows at 4% Rate in Final Quarter of 2003 Economic Growth Report Pulls Down Dow 32 Treasuries Slip on Strong Chicago PMI Dollar Falls on Lower-Than-Expected GDP Fed, economists see improvement Hire expectations Dollar Firms, Buoyed by Economic Data Part One Dollar Firms, Buoyed by Economic Data Part Two Treasuries Up as Growth Falls Short Treasuries Up as Growth Falls Short part two
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