US mortgage rates drop lower

U.S. mortgage rates hovered close to or hit record lows in the latest week, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. said Thursday. Rates slid for the fifth consecutive week with 15-year fixed rate loans hitting a record low for the second consecutive week, reaching 2.56 percent with 0.7 point, down from 2.61 percent, Freddie Mac said. In addition, 30-year fixed rate contracts averaged 3.35 percent with 0.7 point, down from 3.4 percent, which put it close to the record low average of 3.31 percent set in November 2012. Average interest rates for five-year ARM loans dropped to 2.56 percent from 2.58 percent with 0.5 point, Freddie Mac said. One-year adjustable rate mortgages using 10-year bonds as a benchmark averaged 2.56 percent with 0.3 point in the week, down from 2.62 percent in the previous week. One point is equal to 1 percent of the amount of the loan and is typically paid up front. It includes a corresponding discount on the loan's long-term interest rates.