RATES STEADY: Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages held steady this week but could change quickly next week when the Federal Reserve addresses its bond purchase program.
THE NUMBERS: Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average on the 30-year loan stayed at 4.57 percent, just below the two-year high of 4.58 percent reached Aug. 22. The average on the 15-year fixed loan held at 3.59 percent.
AWAITING FED: Rates have risen more than a full percentage point since May, when Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled the Fed may reduce its bond purchases later this year. The bond purchases have kept long-term rates extremely low.
