Mortgage Applications, Interest Rates Fell Last Week
The Mortgage Bankers Association released its weekly report on mortgage applications this morning, noting a 4.3% decline in the group’s composite index compared with last week’s total. Applications for refinancing fell 6% (seasonally adjusted), while purchase applications increased by about…
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Refinancings now account for 79% of total applications, down from 80% a week ago. About 96% of the applications were seeking fixed-rate loans.
The average contract interest rate for a conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell slightly from 3.86% to 3.80%. The rate for a jumbo 30-year fixed-rate mortgage also fell, from 4.11% to 4.06%. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased from 3.15% to 3.12%.
The contract interest rate for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage also declined, from 2.74% to 2.68%.
Recent data on the housing market indicates that home sales prices are rising and banks are loosening lending requirements, making home purchases a little more attractive. The refinancing index is at its lowest point since mid-May of this year.
Mortgage rates have come down to about where they were two weeks ago.
Paul Ausick
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Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.
He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.