After mostly holding steady the last few weeks, mortgage rates inched down this week, giving housing a boost leading up to the spring home buying season, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. 

Freddie Mac reported the following national averages with rates for the week ending Feb. 28: 

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.51 percent, with an average 0.8 point, dropping from last week’s 3.56 percent average. A year ago, 30-year rates averaged 3.90 percent. 
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 2.76 percent, with an average 0.8 point, dropping from last week’s 2.77 percent average. Last year at this time, 15-year rates averaged 3.17 percent. 
• 5-year adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.61 percent, with an average 0.6 point, dropping from last week’s 2.64 percent average. Last year at this time, 5-year ARMs averaged 2.83 percent. 
• 1-year ARMs: averaged 2.64 percent, with an average 0.4 point, dropping from last week’s 2.65 percent average. A year ago, 1-year ARMs averaged 2.72 percent.

Source: Freddie Mac