Fixed mortgage rates moved lower last week after being largely unchanged over the past month, continuing to help drive the housing recovery.

Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.51, down from the previous week when they averaged 3.56 percent. The 15-year mortgage averaged 2.76 percent, down from 2.77 percent a week earlier.

Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) were also down last week. The five-year hybrid ARM  averaged 2.61 percent, down from 2.64 percent, and the one-year ARM averaged 2.64 percent, down from 2.65 percent.