CoinMeta data: According to The Associated Press, the average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the United States rose this week from 7.03% last week to 7.28%, reaching the highest level in nearly three years, and has been increasing for the sixth consecutive week. The same period last year saw an interest rate of 6.34%. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rate also increased from 6.42% to 6.60%. At the end of February this year, the 30-year mortgage rate dropped to 5.98%, but since then it has risen by about 1.3 percentage points. With a loan of $400,000, the monthly repayment cost has increased by about $276. Inflation expectations driven by soaring oil prices have pushed up the yield on U.S. Treasury bonds, with the yield on 10-year Treasuries rising from 3.97% at the end of February to 5.27% during trading on Thursday, further increasing mortgage costs. High interest rates continue to suppress the U.S. real estate market, with home sales in August falling by 2% month-on-month, which translates to an annual rate of 3.98 million homes, the lowest level in over a year.