Fixed-rate mortgages held mostly steady this week, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage staying below its recent high of 4.51 percent set in mid-July, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. 

Mortgage rates have been on their way up since early May — spiking more than a full percentage point increase — after the Federal Reserve announced that it would be ending its bond-buying program soon. The Fed’s program has helped to keep  mortgage rates near record lows the past year. 

Freddie Mac reports the following national averages on mortgage rates for the week ending Aug. 8: 

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 4.40 percent, with an average 0.7 point, up from last week’s 4.39 percent average. A year ago at this time, 30-year rates averaged 3.59 percent. 

• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.43 percent, with an average 0.7 point, holding the same as last week. Last year at this time, 15-year rates averaged 2.84 percent.
• 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 3.19 percent, with an average 0.5 point, rising from last week’s 3.18 percent average. Last year at this time, 5-year ARMs averaged 2.77 percent. 
• 1-year ARMs: averaged 2.62 percent, with an average 0.3 point, dropping from last week’s 2.64 percent average. A year ago, 1-year ARMs averaged 2.65 percent. 

Source: Freddie Mac