Average rate on a 30-year mortgage climbs to 6.85%, highest since July, as bond yields keep rising

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. rose for the second straight week to its highest level since mid-July, reflecting a recent jump in the bond yields that lenders use as a guide to price home loans. The rate rose to 6.85% from 6.72% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now the highest it’s been since the week of July 11, when it was at 6.89%. It dipped as low as 6.08% in September — a 2-year low — and as high as 7.22% in May,