The U.S. 15-year fixed loan interest rate reached a historical low, with an overall decline

> The U.S. 15-year fixed loan interest rate reached a historical low, with an overall decline. According to weekly statistics released by the mortgage guarantee giant on Thursday, the U.S. 30-year fixed loan interest rate...

The U.S. 15-year fixed loan interest rate reached a historical low, with an overall decline. According to weekly statistics released by the mortgage guarantee giant on Thursday, the average U.S. 30-year fixed loan interest rate fell to 3.4% in the week ending April 25, down from 3.41% last week and down significantly from 3.88% in the same period last year. The same report also showed that the average 15-year fixed-rate mortgage reached its lowest level on record during the same week at 2.61%, down from 2.64% the week before. Frank Nothaft, chief economist of Freddie Mac, pointed out in the report that the drop in mortgage rates to near historical lows will boost the housing market. ?/FONT> Data show that existing home sales totaled $4.9 million in the first quarter of this year, reaching the highest point since the first quarter of 2009. New home sales in the first quarter of this year totaled 424,000, the highest level since the third quarter of 2008.