Benchmark mortgage rate hits highest mark in over a year

The 30-year mortgage rate reached its highest mark in over a year on Thursday, portending lower purchasing power for prospective homebuyers.  The benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.71 percent this week, up from 6.66 percent a week ago, FreddieMac reported Thursday. That is the highest point for the 30-year rate since the week ending…