Mortgage Applications for New Home Purchases Up 16 Percent – NMP Skip to main content

Mortgage Applications for New Home Purchases Up 16 Percent

Mar 14, 2017
Mortgage applications for new home purchases increased from January to February by 16 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS). On a year-over-year measurement, applications were up 2.2 percent

Mortgage applications for new home purchases increased from January to February by 16 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS). On a year-over-year measurement, applications were up 2.2 percent.
 
The MBA estimated new single-family home sales were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 586,000 units last month, a 4.3 percent increase from the January pace of 562,000 units. On an unadjusted basis, the MBA estimated that there were 51,000 new home sales in February, a 15.9 percent upswing from 44,000 new home sales in January. Conventional loans accounted for 66.5 percent of loan applications, while FHA loans composed 18.6 percent of total applications last month.
 
“The Builder Application Index posted a modest annual gain in February 2017,” said Lynn Fisher, MBA’s vice president of research and economics. “The bar was high as last February was a particularly strong month for applications, as was March 2016. The surprisingly strong employment numbers for the beginning of 2017 suggest that demand for new homes should continue to grow this year. Additionally, based on the current reading, we expect seasonally adjusted new home sales to be up by about eight percent in February compared to a year ago.”
About the author
Published
Mar 14, 2017
President Trump Cancels 21st Century ROAD To Housing Act

Trump cancels signing the bipartisan housing bill, leaving affordability package in limbo

Jun 24, 2026
Commercial, Multifamily Mortgage Debt Tops $5 Trillion In Q1

MBA says outstanding debt grew by $26.3 billion in the first quarter, led by multifamily lending and increased holdings from banks, agencies, and life insurers

Jun 18, 2026
Fed Holds Rates Steady, But Outlook Dims For Mortgage Rate Relief

The Federal Reserve left rates unchanged but updated projections show more policymakers expecting additional hikes

Jun 18, 2026
Congress Nears Final Vote On 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

Senate voted 87-8 to advance House-amended package, with final votes expected in coming days

Jun 17, 2026
Florida Pending Sales Signal Strong Summer Housing Market

Closed sales rise for a ninth straight month as inventory gives buyers more negotiating power

Jun 16, 2026
Trump Taps Former CFPB Deputy Brian Johnson To Lead Bureau

MBA backs the nomination as lenders await clarity on the future direction of consumer finance regulation under the Trump administration

Jun 12, 2026