This week, for the first time since early September, mortgage rates didn’t rise. Rates had previously increased nine weeks in a row. The longest rising-rate streak in 18 years has come to an end. Home buyers are now faced with deciding whether they should lock, in case rates resume their upward path again, or float, in case rates fall.

The benchmark 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage remained 6.42 percent, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large lenders. One year ago, the mortgage index was 5.76 percent. Four weeks ago, it was 6.17 percent. The 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage rose 3 basis points, to 5.99 percent and the 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage fell 1 basis point, to 5.93 percent.

For current rates in Southern California, visit www.BAFunding.com.