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Mortgage rates climb for third straight week

A home for sale in Charlotte, N.C.
A home for sale in Charlotte, N.C.
(Chuck Burton / AP)
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Mortgage rates climbed higher this week as lenders on average offered a 30-year fixed loan at 3.80%, up from 3.76% last week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly survey.

Rates have now increased for three straight weeks after hitting a bottom for the year in early February. The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage rose from 3.05% to 3.07% this week, the mortgage finance giant said Thursday.

Borrowing is still cheaper than this time last year, when the average rate on a 30-year fixed was 4.37%.

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That drop-off has spurred another wave of refinancing as borrowers rush to lock in a low-cost loan.

Freddie Mac’s survey asks lenders each week about the terms they offer low-risk borrowers on loans up to $417,000.

Actual rates are influenced by many factors, including a borrower’s debt load and credit history.

Follow me on Twitter: @khouriandrew

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