Global| Dec 17 2008U.S. Mortgage Applications Fell Slightly Last Week
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the total number of mortgage applications increased 5.6% last week and that recovered most of the prior week's decline. Applications remained firm to take advantage of lower interest [...]
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the total number of mortgage applications increased 5.6% last week and that recovered most of the prior week's decline. Applications remained firm to take advantage of lower interest rates and the Fed's announcement that it would buy the debt of government sponsored enterprises (GSE) and mortgage-backed securities (MBS).
The index of applications to refinance a home mortgage surged 10.3% after having slipped 0.9% during the prior period. They have risen by three times due to lower interest rates and the government's guarantee.
Off 4.0%, applications for a mortgage to purchase a home fell for the second week.
The effective interest rate on a conventional 15-year mortgage dipped again to 5.26% and that left them down a full percentage point from the October average. For a 30-year mortgage rates also fell to 5.41%. Interest rates on 15 and 30 year mortgages are closely correlated (>90%) with the rate on 10-year Treasury securities. For an adjustable rate 1-Year mortgage the rate slipped to 6.71% after having averaged 6.90% during October and November.
During the last ten years there has been a (negative) 79% correlation between the level of applications for purchase and the effective interest rate on a 30-year mortgage. Moreover, during the last ten years there has been a 61% correlation between the y/y change in purchase applications and the change in new plus existing single family home sales.
The Mortgage Bankers Association surveys between 20 to 35 of the top lenders in the U.S. housing industry to derive its refinance, purchase and market indexes. The weekly survey covers roughly 50% of all U.S. residential mortgage applications processed each week by mortgage banks, commercial banks and thrifts. Visit the Mortgage Bankers Association site here.
The figures for weekly mortgage applications are available in Haver's SURVEYW database.
| MBA Mortgage Applications (3/16/90=100) | 12/12/08 | 12/05/08 | Y/Y | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Market Index | 841.4 | 796.8 | 28.7% | 652.6 | 584.2 | 708.6 |
| Purchase | 286.1 | 298.1 | -32.2% | 424.9 | 406.9 | 470.9 |
| Refinancing | 4,156.0 | 3,767.3 | 30.8% | 1,997.9 | 1,634.0 | 2,092.3 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
More Economy in Brief
