30-year fixed-rate U.S. mortgages steady

MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Rates on 30-year U.S. mortgages were unchanged at 6.18 percent the first week of the new year, mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday.

Thirty-year, fixed-rate mortgages trended lower during the last four months of 2006 after peaking at 6.80 percent in late July, said Freddie Mac, formally known as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

Rates for 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, often chosen for home refinancing, rose 0.01 percent to 5.94 percent, compared to 5.93 percent last week.