Mortgage applications decreased 8.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending Jan. 25, 2013. The results include an adjustment to account for the Martin Luther King holiday. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 8.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 17 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 10 percent from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased two percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased six percent compared with the previous week and was two percent higher than the same week one year ago.
The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 79 percent of total applications from 82 percent the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity increased to four percent of total applications. The HARP share of refinance applications increased to 26 percent from 25 percent the prior week.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($417,500 or less) increased to 3.67 percent, the highest level since September 2012, from 3.62 percent, with points decreasing to 0.42 from 0.43 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The contract interest rate for 30-year fixed mortgages has increased for six of the last seven weeks. The effective rate increased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $417,500) increased to 3.95 percent from 3.85 percent, with points increasing to 0.39 from 0.34 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTVs. The effective rate increased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA increased to 3.48 percent from 3.40 percent, with points decreasing to 0.33 from 0.53 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTVs. The effective rate increased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 2.95 percent from 2.87 percent, with points decreasing to 0.38 from 0.39 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTVs. The effective rateincreased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs decreased to 2.60 percent from 2.61 percent, with points increasing to 0.33 from 0.32 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTVs. The effective rate decreased from last week.
