From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Surve
Mortgage applications increased 9.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending June 3, 2016. This week’s results include an adjustment to account for the Memorial Day holiday.
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The Refinance Index increased 7 percent from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 12 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 12 percent compared with the previous week and was 6 percent lower than the same week one year ago.
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The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($417,000 or less) decreased to 3.83 percent from 3.85 percent, with points decreasing to 0.33 from 0.36 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.
emphasis added
Click on graph for larger image.
The first graph shows the refinance index since 1990.
Refinance activity was higher in 2015 than in 2014, but it was still the third lowest year since 2000.
Refinance activity increased a little this year when rates declined.
The second graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index.