Mortgage rates tend to fluctuate day by day. So if you’re planning to buy a home, it’s a good idea to keep a close watch on interest rates and weigh various mortgage options. One common type of mortgage is a conventional loan with a 15-year fixed interest rate.

Mortgage rates turned upward this week after falling the previous five weeks in a row. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.78% APR, up four basis points from the previous week's average, according to rates provided to NerdWallet by Zillow. A basis point is one one-hundredth of a percentage point.