A drop in US mortgage rates is offering early encouragement to prospective homebuyers ahead of the crucial spring homebuying season, even as borrowing costs continue to hover near the 6% mark.The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage declined to 6.01% this week from 6.09% a week earlier, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday, AP reported. The rate stood at 6.85% during the same period last year.The latest reading marks the lowest level for the benchmark mortgage rate in more than three years, since September 8, 2022, when it averaged 5.89%. That was also the last time borrowing costs dipped below the 6% threshold.“The recent decline in rates is a favorable lead in to the annual spring homebuying season — good news for home shoppers who can afford to buy at current rates.”Shorter-term borrowing costs also eased. The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage, widely used by homeowners refinancing existing loans, fell to 5.35% from 5.44% last week. A year earlier, the average stood at 6.04%, according to Freddie Mac.