WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. mortgage rates rose this week to the highest level since July. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate loan rate rose to 6.91% from 6.85% last week, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac. It was at 6.62% a year ago. The uptick in the cost of home loans reflects a rise in the bond yields that lenders use as a guide to price mortgages. The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance, climbed to 6.13%, up from 6% and also the highest since July.
