Going up: The national average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage went up by 16 basis points in the past week. The average rate for the week ending Sunday was 4.93%, according to the Zillow Mortgage Rate Monitor, compared with 4.77% for the week ending Dec. 20. The 15-year rate increased by less, going from 4.24% to 4.37% for the week ending Dec. 27. Zillow says rates were higher Monday, topping 5%.
What buyers want: Honda and Toyota model vehicles took up the first eight spots in Kelly Blue Book’s annual list of the most researched automobiles. The Honda Accord was the most researched vehicle on the Kelly Web site, while the smaller Honda Civic was second in market interest and the Toyota Corolla was third. That’s nothing new: Kelly says the fuel-efficient Japanese cars have held the top three spots in varying orders since 2004. Three American cars drove into the top 20 list in 2009: the Chevrolet Equinox and Camaro and the Ford Fusion.
