The average U.S. 30-year mortgage rate remained below 8 percent for a third straight week, Freddie Mac said Thursday.
The 30-year mortgage rate averaged 7.96 percent, down from 7.99 percent last week.
Freddie Mac also said 15-year mortgage rates fell to an average 7.67 percent from 7.72 percent in the prior week. It was the lowest level of the year for 15-year mortgages.
One-year adjustable-rate mortgages fell to an average 7.27 percent from 7.37 percent last week.
A year ago, 30-year mortgages averaged 7.83 percent, 15-year mortgages were 7.45 percent and adjustable rate mortgages 6.18 percent.
In mid-May, 30-year mortgage rates hit a five-year high of 8.64 percent.
Freddie Mac said lenders charged an average 1.0 percent in fees and points on the 30- and 15-year mortgages, both unchanged from last week. They also charged 1.0 percent on the ARM, up from 0.9 last week.
Freddie Mac is a corporation chartered by Congress that buys mortgages from lenders and packages them into securities for investors.
