Mortgage rates remained unchanged following the Federal Open Market Committee's decision to hold interest rates steady for a second straight month. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate remains 6.44 percent.

Bankrate.com, an online provider of mortgages, loans and savings rates, released a survey of large lenders on Thursday which concluded that the 30-year fixed rate mortgages had an average of 0.3 discount and origination points. Interest rates were last raised in June this year and since then fixed mortgage rates have declined nearly one-half percentage point.

Overall, the average 15-year fixed rate mortgage popular for refinancing held at 6.12 percent. Larger loans, such as the 30-year fixed rate rose higher to 6.7 percent. According to Bankrate.com, adjustable rate mortgages were mixed with the average 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage remains unchanged at 6.19 percent. However the average one-year ARM rose to 5.96 percent.

Fixed mortgage rates remain nearly one-half percentage point lower than when the Fed last hiked rates at the end of June.

Bankrate.com weekly forward-looking Rate Trend Index conducted the survey, in which a panel of mortgage experts predicts the upcoming rates over the following 30 to 45 days.

Mortgage