“Rising rates paired with high and escalating home prices is putting downward pressure on purchase demand,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “While the monthly payment remains affordable due to the still low mortgage rate environment, the primary hurdle for many borrowers today is the down payment and that is the reason home sales have decreased in many high-priced markets.”

Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending Oct. 11:

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 4.90 percent, with an average 0.5 point, rising from last week’s 4.71 percent average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 3.91 percent.
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 4.29 percent, with an average 0.4 point, rising from last week’s 4.15 percent average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 3.21 percent.
• 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 4.07 percent, with an average 0.3 point, rising from last week’s 4.01 percent average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.16 percent.