The rate on a 30-year fixed refinance decreased to 6.98% today, according to the Mortgage Research Center. Rates averaged 5.96% for a 15-year financed mortgage and 6.85% for a 20-year financed mortgage.

If you look at the biggest industry forecasts, analysts predict that mortgage rates will either hold steady or drop slightly in the near term. Fannie Mae currently predicts that the average 30-year mortgage rate will end the first quarter at around 6.7%, while the Mortgage Bankers Association predicts a much higher 7%.

According to the latest data from Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is currently around 6.00%. That’s nearly a full percentage point lower than the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, which is sitting in the upper 6.00% range.

Today, the mortgage interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is 6.98%, according to the Mortgage Research Center, while the average rate on a 15-year mortgage is 6.05%. On a 30-year jumbo mortgage, the average rate is 7.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased for the third week in a row, a smidgen of relief for prospective home shoppers getting into the market before the busy spring homebuying season starts.

After rising for two days, 30-year new purchase mortgage rates shaved off several points Thursday, moving the average back down to 6.87%. Rates declined for many other mortgage types as well. Since rates vary widely across lenders,