US long-term mortgage rates little changed, 30-year at 3.75%

U.S. long-term mortgage rates were mostly unchanged this week amid signals from the Federal Reserve that it is preparing to cut interest rates soon.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year mortgage stood at 3.75%, the same as the previous week. A year ago the rate stood at 4.53%.

The average rate for 15-year, fixed-rate home loans ticked up this week to 3.22% from 3.18%. It was 4.02% one year ago.

Low interest rates and stabilizing home prices appear to be nudging some home buyers. The National Association of Realtors says that more Americans signed contracts to purchase homes in May compared with the prior month.