Average U.S. mortgage rate rises to 7.28%—the highest level in nearly three years

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate jumped this week to its highest level in nearly three years. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.28% from 7.03% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday, the biggest leap in several years. A year ago, the average rate was 6.34%. It is the sixth consecutive week that mortgage rates have increased. The average rate is now the highest it’s been since Nov. 22, 2023, when it reached 7.29%. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also climbed this week. That average rate increased to 6.60% from 6.42% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.55%. Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month to borrowers’ costs, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. As rates rise, that can also lead prospective home shoppers to delay buying. In late February, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage briefly dipped to 5.98%, its lowest level going back to late 2022. The roughly 1 percentage point increase in the rate since then translates roughly into an additional $276 a month cost for a borrower financing a $400,000 home loan at the current average rate. Depending on a bor…