• The average for a 30-year, fixed loan was 6.73%, the highest since November, when borrowing costs hit 7.08%, Freddie Mac said in a statement Thursday.
• After easing a bit at the start of the year, rates have now increased for five straight weeks, threatening to chill the housing market in what’s usually its busiest season. First-time buyers are getting sidelined as higher loan costs erode their purchasing power. Many current homeowners, meanwhile, are staying put — reluctant to settle for a discounted sale price or trade in a cheap mortgage for a more expensive one.