U.S. mortgage rates climb after recent declines

U.S. mortgage rates jumped this week after weeks of mostly declines, according to Freddie Mac. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 2.87% for the week ending Aug. 12 — up from 2.80% last week. More than three months ago, mortgage rates hit 2.65%, which was the lowest since tracking began in 1971. A year ago, mortgage rates stood at 2.96%. Low mortgage rates help propel U.S. home sales and the refinance market. “Following last Friday’s strong jobs report, which revealed broad based gains…