Mortgage Loan Rates Tick Lower, Applications Increase

September 14, 2016 by Paul Ausick

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its report on mortgage applications Wednesday morning, noting a week-over-week increase of 4.2% in the group’s seasonally adjusted composite index for the week ending September 9. The results include an adjustment for the Labor Day holiday. Mortgage loan rates fell on three of five types of loans this past week.

On an unadjusted basis, the composite index decreased by 17% week over week. The seasonally adjusted purchase index increased by 9% compared with the week ended September 2. The unadjusted purchase index decreased by 15% for the week and is now 8% higher year over year.

The MBA’s refinance index increased by 2% week over week, and the percentage of all new applications that were seeking refinancing dropped from 64% to 62.9%.

Adjustable rate mortgage loans accounted for 4.6% of all applications, up from 4.3% in the previous week.

Mortgage News Daily noted Tuesday that since the Brexit vote two months ago:

[C]onventional 30yr fixed rates on top tier scenarios have been as low as 3.25%.  The most prevalent rate was 3.375%.  While that’s still available today for a few of the most aggressive lenders, you’re more likely to see 3.5%-3.625%.  Bottom line, the past few business days have solidified a shift higher of roughly an eighth of a percentage point.

According to the MBA, last week’s average mortgage loan rate for a conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased from 3.68% to 3.67%. The rate for a jumbo 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell from 3.66% to 3.64%. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage increased from 2.96% to 2.97%.

The contract interest rate for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage loan was unchanged at 2.87%. Rates on a 30-year FHA-backed fixed-rate loan dropped from 3.52% to 3.50%.

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