Mortgage rates had been drifting modestly higher in general in the past 2 weeks, but the pace is accelerating in the new year. The net effect is an average conventional 30yr fixed rate that is now in the low 3 percent range (3.125% to 3.375%). For most of the past 2 months, the range has been in the high 2 percent range (2.750% to 2.999%).