Interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from September to October across the U.S., according to several indices of new mortgage contracts from the Federal Housing Finance Authority .

• The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.75 percent for loans closed in late October, up 13 basis points from 4.62 percent in September.
• The average interest rate on all mortgage loans was 4.72 percent, up 9 basis points from 4.63 in September.
• The average interest rate on conventional, 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages of $453,100 or less was 4.87 percent, up 10 basis points from 4.77 in September.
• The effective interest rate on all mortgage loans was 4.81 percent in October, up 9 basis points from 4.72 in September.  The effective interest rate accounts for the addition of initial fees and charges over the life of the mortgage.
• The average loan amount for all loans was $315,100 in October, up $9,000 from $306,100 in September.