Average 30-year mortgage eases to 4.42%

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Average U.S. rates for fixed mortgages eased slightly this week, remaining near historically low levels.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year loan declined to 4.42 percent from 4.46 percent last week. The average on the 15-year fixed loan dipped to 3.43 percent from 3.47 percent.

Mortgage rates peaked at 4.6 percent in August and have stabilized since September, when the Federal Reserve took no action on starting to reduce its bond purchases.