The government-sponsored loan buyer said 30-year fixed-rate loans averaged 6.13% for the week ending Thursday, up from 6.03% last week.

Last year at this time, the 30-year rate averaged 6.14%, Freddie Mac said.

"The combination of lower house prices and lower mortgage rates contributed to a more affordable market for homebuyers," said Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) vice president and chief economist Frank Nothaft in a statement Thursday.

"The National Association of Realtors reported that January's Pending Home Sales Index held unchanged from December, contrary to the consensus expectation of a 1% slide, signaling that existing home sales in February could hold steady from January's level," Nothaft added.

Freddie Mac also said 15-year fixed-rate loans averaged 5.60%, up from 5.47% last week. A year ago, the 15-year rate averaged 5.88%.

Rates on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 5.58%, up from 5.34% last week. A year ago, the 5-year rate averaged 5.90%.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.14%, up from 4.94% last week. At this time a year ago, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.42%.