Fixed mortgage rates fall to lowest since '04

Rates on home loans drop after Fed makes emergency cut to fed funds rate, Freddie Mac says.

January 24 2008: 11:25 AM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Mortgage rates continued to fall this week, with 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages hitting their lowest levels in nearly four years, Freddie Mac reported Thursday.

The government-sponsored loan buyer said the rate on a 30-year fixed-rate loan averaged 5.48 percent for the week ending Thursday, down from 5.69 percent last week.

At this time last year, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.25 percent. The 30-year rate has not been lower since the week ending March 25, 2004, when it averaged 5.40 percent.

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