2012’s last Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) results from Freddie Mac show average fixed mortgage rates finishing the year near record lows.  This is helping to keep homebuyer affordability high.  According to Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s vice president and chief economist, “Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages were nearly 0.6 percentage points below that of the beginning of the year, which translates into an interest payment savings of nearly $98,600 over the life of a $200,000 loan.”