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BOSTON — The average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell below 5% this week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly survey of conforming mortgage rates, released on Thursday.

The mortgage averaged 4.95% for the week ending Feb. 24, down from 5% last week and 5.05% a year ago.

Fifteen-year fixed-rate mortgages also fell, averaging 4.22%, down from 4.27% last week. The mortgage averaged 4.4% a year ago.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 3.8% this week, down from 3.87% last week 4.16% a year ago.

But 1-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 3.4%, up slightly from 3.39% last week. The ARM averaged 4.15% a year ago.

To obtain the rates, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage and both adjustable-rate mortgages required payment of an average 0.6 point and the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage required an average 0.7 point. A point is 1% of the mortgage amount, charged as prepaid interest.

"Fixed mortgage rates eased again this holiday week amid mixed inflation data reports," said the chief economist of Freddie Mac, in a news release. "Although the core consumer price index for January rose slightly above the market consensus, house prices fell 4.1% in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller National Index. In addition, the level of the index was the lowest since the fourth quarter of 2002."

He also said that low mortgage rates and home prices are sustaining affordability in housing.