Mortgage rates rose once again this week, with one notable exception.

The average 30-year fixed-rate increased 9 basis points, to 6.41 percent. A basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point. It is the third straight week that mortgage rates have increased.

The average 15-year fixed -- a popular option for refinancing -- moved up 3 basis points, to 6.14 percent. The average jumbo 30-year fixed rose 7 basis points, to 7.65 percent.

Meanwhile, the one-year adjustable-rate mortgage broke the trend by falling 29 basis points, to 6.04 percent. The popular 5/1 ARM increased 11 basis points, to 6.49 percent.

Mortgage activity was down sharply for the second straight week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

For the week ending Sept. 26, mortgage activity declined by a seasonally adjusted 23 percent. Refinancing activity plunged 34.7 percent, while applications for new purchases fell 10.9 percent.

-- Chris Kissell

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