US Mortgage Rates Tick Down, Sending 30-Year Average to 6.81%

Mortgage rates in the US fell for the third time in the past four weeks.

The average for 30-year, fixed loans was 6.81%, down from 6.83% last week, Freddie Mac said in a statement Thursday.

Rates are holding below 7% during the market’s typically busiest season. Resale listings have been on the rise, giving shoppers more choices and greater negotiating power in many parts of the country. Sellers have become increasingly flexible, according to Redfin Corp., which reported that buyers won concessions in 44% of transactions in the first quarter — just shy of the record high.

Yet ...