Freddie Mac recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates easing further for the second consecutive week helping to increase home buyer affordability at the onset of the spring home buying season.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.27 percent with an average 0.7 point for theweek ending April 17, 2014, down from last week when it averaged 4.34 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.41 percent.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.33 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.38 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.64 percent.

The 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.03 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.09 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.60 percent.

The 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.44 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.41 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.63 percent.

“Mortgage rates continued to ease this week as housing starts rose 2.8 percent in March but not as much as expected,” says Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac. “Also, permits fell 2.4 percent in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 990,000, which followed a slight downward revision of 4,000 permits in February.”

Source: RISMEDIA & FreddieMac.com