Following the rise in interest rates last week, mortgage rates for the week ending February 11, 2010 remained relatively low, according to survey results released Thursday by Freddie Mac and Bankrate.

The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey found that the average rate for 30-year fixed mortgages fell to 4.97 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from 5.01 percent the prior week. During this same week in 2009, rates for 30-year fixed mortgages averaged 5.16 percent, marking a 0.19 percent decrease year-over-year.

“Interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are below 5 percent for a third week this year, which helps a number of homeowners to refinance their existing housing debt” said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac VP and chief economist.

Rates also inched down for 15-year fixed mortgages, which averaged 4.34 percent with an average 0.6 point this week. This was a slight decline from last week when 15-

year fixed-mortgage rates averaged 4.4 percent and marked a more notable drop from the 4.81 percent average during the same week last year.

While Bankrate reported that “mortgage rates were mostly lower this week,” it did not report a decrease in the average rate for 30-year fixed mortgages as Freddie Mac did. According to its weekly national survey, the average rate for 30-year fixed mortgages remained unchanged at 5.15 percent with an average 0.49 point.

The tracking company did, however, report declines in other mortgage types. The average rate for 15-year fixed mortgages slipped to 4.52 percent with an average 0.44 point, a slight decrease from last week’s 4.55 percent. In addition, the larger jumbo 30-year fixed rate fell below the 6 percent mark, coming in at 5.95 percent this week.

With little movement seen in recent weeks, Bankrate said economic and financial market jitters continue to hold mortgage rates in check. Should worries about Greece and other European market abate, Bankrate believes both Treasury yields and mortgage rates will rebound somewhat.

For the coming week, though, mortgage rates are expected to remain relatively stable, according to Bankrate’s weekly Rate Trend Index, in which a panel of mortgage experts predicts which way the rates are headed over the next week.

Of the mortgage experts surveyed, 52 percent expect mortgage rates to remain more or less unchanged over the next week, 40 percent predict an increase, and just 7 percent forecast a decline in rates from this week to next.