Tag Archives: Mortgage Applications

Mortgage applications fell 2.5 percent last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The trade group found application volume declining by 3 percent on a seasonally unadjusted basis. Purchases fell 0.8 percent from the week before and 3 percent on a seasonally unadjusted basis. The refinance share of mortgage activity stayed the same from last week, hovering at 79 percent, with the adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity ticking up to 5 percent of total volume. Interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages by and large fell with volume.

Mortgage applications decreased 4.5 percent over the week last week with most of the decrease occurring among refinance applications, according to the latest survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Refinance activity fell 5 percent compared to the previous week, while purchase activity declined 2 percent. Refinance applications continue to make up a majority of applications, taking an 81 percent share of total mortgage application activity for the week ending August 10. Adjustable-rate mortgages made up 4 percent of total applications for the week.

Though the skies above the housing market appear to be clearing, the July edition of the Obama administration├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós Housing Scorecard warns of another storm to come. HUD and Treasury Department released the latest scorecard Friday, providing a look at a market in recovery but threatened by an expected increase in foreclosure activity. According to the report, foreclosure starts and completions both declined in June, painting a picture of continued recovery. However, officials expect foreclosure activity to pick up in coming months as firms lift delays in foreclosure processing.

Mortgage applications went up 0.2 percent last week as refinance volume rallied at levels not seen for the past several years. The Mortgage Bankers Association found the refinance share of mortgage activity ticking up to 81 percent of total application volume, the highest since January this year, while the Refinance Index climbed 0.8 percent to its highest level since April 2009. The increase in refinance activity also saw a 6 percent decline in government refinance applications. The adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity declined to 4.1 percent of total volume.

More applications ticked up as record-low mortgage rates spurred refinance applications to their highest level since April 2009. The Mortgage Bankers Association found that applications increased 0.9 percent from the week before. The Refinance Index climbed by 2 percent to reach the highest level in three years, with the refinance share of activity ticking up to 81 percent of application volume from 80 percent last week. The adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity amounted to 4 percent of total volume from the week before.

Increased home sales continue to help the United States out of its Great Recession, but uneven job growth is stunting recovery, according to Freddie Mac├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook for July. The report, released Wednesday, showed that record-breaking low mortgage rates and refinances through HARP 2.0 drove up housing demand, leading to increases in housing starts, home sales, and prices in many markets. Housing starts for the first five months of the year averaged an annual rate of 719,000, a 26 percent increase from the same period in 2011.

Improvements in mortgage banking and credit quality helped Wells Fargo see income gains for the second quarter of 2012. On Friday, Wells Fargo reported a net income of $4.6 billion, or $0.82 per share. The reported earnings for the most recent quarter was an 18 percent increase from the same quarter a year ago, when net income was $3.9 billion, or $0.70 per share. Net income for the most recent quarter was also up from the previous quarter when net income was $4.2 billion, or $0.75 per share.

Rallying investors by end of day Friday, JPMorgan Chase posted strong earnings from the second-quarter, with Home Affordable Refinance Program modifications helping boost income for the laggardly mortgage servicing unit year-over-year. For mortgage production and servicing, the financial institution fielded $604 million in net income over the second quarter, a figure that trumps a net loss of $649 million from the past year. Mortgage production rose to $931 million in pretax income for the lender.

Mortgage applications fell 2.1 percent from the week before, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The trade group found declines for applications amid new historic lows for mortgage rates. According to the MBA, average contract interest rates for home loans broke new records across the board. New lows for interest rates included the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with conforming balances (3.79 percent), the 30-year loan with jumbo loan balances (4.05 percent), and the 15-year loan (3.15 percent). Five-year and one-year adjustable-rate mortgages likewise fell to a new low of 2.71 percent.

The CFPB has officially proposed mortgage disclosure forms designed to enhance understanding. The forms are a result of research, testing, writing, and review and are being created to help consumers comprehend the terms of their mortgage and the costs involved. The proposed forms are part of the agency's Know Before You Owe project and are to be provided after applying for a loan and before closing."When making what is likely the biggest purchase of their life, consumers should be looking at paperwork that clearly lays out the terms of the deal," said CFPB Director Richard Cordray.