Mortgage Applications Rise

Mortgage applications rose by 2.4% on a seasonally-adjusted basis from one week earlier for the week ending May 17th, 2019, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s latest Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey.
On an unadjusted basis, the Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, rose 2% over the previous week. The Refinance Index rose by 8% over the same period. The seasonally-adjusted Purchase Index fell 2% from the previous week, and the unadjusted Purchase Index fell 3%.
“Mortgage rates fell for the fourth straight week, with the 30-year fixed rate mortgage hitting its lowest level since January 2018, leading to a rebound in refinances. The refinance index increased 8 percent to its highest level in over a month, and once again there was an increase in average refinance loan sizes, as borrowers with larger balances responded accordingly to lower rates,” says Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting.
The refinance share of mortgage activity rose to 40.5% of all applications, up from 37.9% the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share rose to 6.8% over the same period. The FHA share fell to 9.4% from 10.1%, the VA share rose to 11.0% from 10.6%, and the USDA share remained unchanged at 0.6%.
“Purchase activity declined again, but remained around 7 percent higher than a year ago,” Kan says. “We’re keeping a close eye on whether there may be some adverse effects of the ongoing global trade disputes on overall demand. Some potential homebuyers may be delaying their home search until there’s more certainty.”
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($484,350 or less) fell to 4.33% from 4.40% the previous week. Points for 80% loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans rose to 0.43, up from 0.40 the previous week. (All 80% LTV loan reports include the origination fee.) The effective rate decreased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $484,350) remained unchanged at 4.24%. Points for 80% LTV loans rose to 0.35 from 0.27, and the effective rate increased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA rose to 4.34% from 4.32% the previous week. Points for 80% LTV loans fell to 0.47 from 0.49, and the effective rate increased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages remained unchanged at 3.78%. Points for 80% LTV loans fell to 0.40 from 0.43, and the effective rate decreased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs fell to 3.57% from 3.82%. Points for 80% LTV loans fell to 0.37 from 0.44, and the effective rate decreased from last week.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crucial Coronavirus Cleaning Tips: How To Keep Your Home Germ-Free During the Pandemic

Image
How long the virus survives—and where it thrives The novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces anywhere from hours to days. The latest information is that it can last 24 hours on cardboard, 48 to 72 hours on plastic, and 48 to 72 hours on stainless steel, says  Dr. Reuben Elovitz , internist and CEO at  Private Health Dallas , who cited a recent study from the  New England Journal of Medicine . The duration also depends on a few other factors, like temperature and whether a surface is prone to holding moisture. “Wooden handles, for example, are more likely to be damp than metal under normal conditions—and damp conditions can enable many infectious agents to thrive,” explains molecular biologist  Dr. Tracey Evans . “ Furthermore, a warm room is more favorable for many pathogens than a cold one.” Regardless of what kinds of temperatures and surfaces you have in your home, there are things you can do to keep these dangerous pathogens at bay. Ditch germs at ...
Read more

7 Ways to Create a Neighborly Front Yard

Image
1. Shade the Sidewalk Consider placing a tree where it will shade the sidewalk to help create a pleasant environment and encourage walking and visiting among neighbors. Trees provide rain and sun protection, and temperature differentials of 5 to 15 degrees are felt when walking on tree-canopied streets. In urban areas trees help mitigate the  heat-island effect  and provide a connection to nature. Most cities require permits for adding trees to a parkway (or hell strip), but permits are not usually required for planting on private property. Sean Papich Landscape Architecture 2. Set the Fence Back Placing a low fence or wall back a few feet from the edge of the sidewalk allows room for planting, and plants provide visual interest for pedestrians. In addition to cheerful  daisies  like these, velvety plants such as  lamb’s ears  ( Stachys byzantina ;   USDA zones 4 to 9;  find your zone ) would work well. June Scott Design ...
Read more

What’s New in Outdoor Lighting Design

Image
Linear Lighting There’s a trend toward the more extensive integration of lighting with modern hardscape elements. Sleek, minimalist linear step lighting illuminates a path while keeping light fixtures hidden from view. It also enables you to more easily highlight an architectural feature, such as stairs or a freestanding wall.  ZEN Associates, Inc. Laurie Ghielmetti Floating Structures Another trend is placing lights beneath landscape structures, creating the illusion that they are floating-- light is hidden to visually float steps, benches, bridges and other outdoor landscape elements. dSPACE Studio Ltd, AIA BEGA North America Sleek, Modern Fixtures A big trend is to use path lights that look more architectural, rather than the traditional flower or mushroom shapes. Pistils Landscape Design + Build Nightfall Landscape Lighting Low-Voltage Lighting While low-voltage lighting is not necessarily a new concept,...
Read more