FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2019 file photo, a sign stands outside a home for sale in southeast Denver. U.S. long-term mortgage rates were flat this week, staying near record lows as the economy remains burdened by the coronavirus pandemic. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reports that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate home loan remained at last week’s 2.73%. The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate loans ticked up to 2.21% from 2.20%. The government reported Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 that the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell to 779,000 last week, a still-historically high total showing that a sizable number of people keep losing jobs to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
