Mortgage Interest Rate Trend for The Week of 10/27/11 - 11/02/11

Uncertainty remains in the markets, which should keep mortgage interest rates relatively unchanged from last week. Consumer confidence remains low, and with high unemployment, the economy remains sluggish.

Will the newly revamped Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) help homeowners and the housing market? Borrowers looking to refinance should make sure to get their applications in before the flood of loans start pouring into the banks and mortgage companies.

Obama Tries to Ease Housing Woes

Washington/The Associated Press (excerpts from article) - ...President Obama will promote a series of executive branch steps aimed at jumpstarting the economy this week, beginning with new rules to make it easier for homeowners to refinance their mortgages. The White House said changes to the two-year-old Home Affordable Refinance Program will help homeowners with little or no equity in their houses refinance by cutting the cost of doing so and removing caps to give deeply underwater borrowers access to the program.

The federal refinancing program only covers mortgages created before June 2009 and owned or backed by government-controlled mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Borrowers also must be current on their payments.