After falling for four days and then holding at that level for another day, rates on 30-year mortgages added points Thursday, as did most other loan types.

The average rate on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 12 basis points to 6.94% in the week ending Jan. 23, according to rates provided to NerdWallet by Zillow. A basis point is one-one hundredth of a percentage point. The previous week had been the first time that the 30-year rate had inched above 7% since May.

The 30-year mortgage rate has inched up to the highest level since early last summer. Refinances are unexpectedly going up.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased this week to just below 7%, its first decline after climbing five weeks in a row. The rate fell to 6.96% from 7.04% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, it averaged 6.69%.

"While I'd love to say rates will drop below 6% in 2025, I think it's a moderate probability and not a certainty," says Steven Parangi, a licensed mortgage loan originator and owner of Alpine Mortgage Services. His view aligns with the Mortgage Bankers Association's prediction that rates will stay between 6% and 7% throughout the year.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased this week to just below 7%, its first decline after climbing five weeks in a row. The rate fell to 6.96% from 7.04% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.