• Mortgage rates rise to highest level in 7 months The average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages rose this week to the highest level in seven months, reflecting higher yields on China raises mortgage rates in line with interest rates BEIJING (Reuters • A mortgage is a loan in which your house functions as the collateral. Learn about mortgages in this article from HowStuffWorks. Obringer, Lee Ann, and Dave Roos. "How Mortgages Work" 08 October 2002. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home