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Average US rate on 30-year mortgage steady at 3.71 percent

FILE - In this Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, file photo, a sold sign sits next to a house under the final stages of construction in Plano, Texas. On Thursday, March 31, 2016, Freddie Mac reports on the week's average U.S. mortgage rates. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, file photo, a sold sign sits next to a house under the final stages of construction in Plano, Texas. On Thursday, March 31, 2016, Freddie Mac reports on the week's average U.S. mortgage rates. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

By Associated Press March 31, 2016 1 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates were unchanged to slightly higher this week after declining the previous week.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was steady at 3.71 percent. The benchmark rate also remained close to the 3.70 percent level it marked a year ago.

The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages edged up to 2.98 percent from 2.96 percent last week.