Tag Archives: Mortgage Applications

Mortgage applications continued on a downward slope last week, with refinance volume falling to its lowest level in months, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey. The survey's Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, dropped 9.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending May 17, MBA reported. The Refinance Index decreased 12 percent week-over-week--the fastest weekly drop this year.

According to Ellie Mae's findings, purchase loans made up 42 percent of loans closed in April, up from 38 percent in March, while refinances represented 58 percent. According to Ellie Mae president and COO Jonathan Corr, the last time purchase loans broke the 40 percent mark was July 2012. Among purchase loans, the closing rate was about 58.2 percent, while the rate for refinances was 50.5 percent. The overall closing rate for loans analyzed in the sample was 53.2 percent, a pull back from March.

According to MBA's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey, applications dropped 7.3 percent for the week ending May 10.

Home sales declined in March, but demand for mortgage credit increased, according to the US Housing Market Monthly from Capital Economics. Recently, the Fed reported an increase in home purchase applications in April, and credit "loosened a touch," the report stated. The firm maintains an overall positive outlook on the market despite the small decline in March sales and quashes any concerns of another bubble forming. In fact, Capital Economics calculated it could take "until 2017 for housing to return to fair value."

After examining mortgage application data throughout April, Capital Economics sees "mounting evidence that mortgage-dependent buyers are starting to play a fuller role in the housing market recovery." Compiling information provided by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), Capital Economics found that total application volume was up 3.5 percent from March to April. In its latest Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey (for the week ending May 3), MBA reported a 7.0 percent increase in applications.

The Market Composite Index in the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) weekly applications survey rose 1.8 percent for the week ending April 26.

Purchase loan share picked up more ground in March as mortgage rates climbed further, according to the latest Origination Insight Report from Ellie Mae.

According to MBA's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 12, application volume increased 4.8 percent week-over-week on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase both pulled in record quarterly profits during the first months of 2013, according to earnings reports released Friday by both banks. Wells Fargo reported record net income of $5.2 billion for Q1 2013, up from $5.1 billion quarter-over-quarter and from $4.2 billion year-over-year. JPMorgan also posted strong performance across its businesses, recording a net income of $6.5 billion (compared with $4.9 billion in the first quarter of 2012).

While last year's mortgage market was largely dominated by refinance loans, a new report from MortgageMarvel.com says the stage is already set in some areas for purchase loans to take point.