Global| Mar 11 2020U.S. Mortgage Applications Surge as Interest Rates Decline
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its Mortgage Loan Application Index rose 55.4% (205.2% y/y) during the week ending March 6 after a 15.1% gain in the prior week. The jump occurred as refinancings rose 78.6% (479.2% y/y). [...]
The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its Mortgage Loan Application Index rose 55.4% (205.2% y/y) during the week ending March 6 after a 15.1% gain in the prior week. The jump occurred as refinancings rose 78.6% (479.2% y/y). Purchase applications also were strong and posted a 5.6% recovery (11.9% y/y) following the prior week's 2.7% decline.
The effective interest rate on a 15-year fixed rate mortgage fell to 2.97% from 3.09% the week before. The rate remained well below its recent peak of 4.71% in early November 2018. The effective interest rate on the 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell to 3.55% from 3.65% the previous week. The effective rate on a 30-year Jumbo mortgage eased to 3.64%, and the rate on the 5-year adjustable rate mortgage fell to 3.17% from 3.31%.
The average mortgage loan size increased to $367,900 last week. The average size of refinancings rose to $372,100, up nearly one-quarter from a year ago. The average loan size for purchases was $354,200 (8.7% y/y).
Applications for fixed-rate loans rose 151.0% y/y, while applications for adjustable rate loans were up almost 209.5%.
The survey covers over 75% of all U.S. retail residential mortgage applications and has been conducted weekly since 1990. Respondents include mortgage bankers, commercial banks and thrifts. The base period and value for each index is March 16, 1990=100. The figures for weekly mortgage applications and interest rates are available in Haver's SURVEYW database.
| MBA Mortgage Applications (%, SA) | 03/06/20 | 02/28/20 | 02/21/20 | Y/Y | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Market Index | 55.4 | 15.1 | 1.5 | 205.2 | 32.4 | -10.4 | -17.8 |
| Purchase | 5.6 | -2.7 | 5.7 | 11.9 | 6.6 | 2.1 | 5.6 |
| Refinancing | 78.6 | 26.0 | -0.8 | 479.2 | 71.1 | -24.3 | -34.0 |
| 15-Year Effective Mortgage Interest Rate (%) | 2.97 | 3.09 | 3.23 | 4.05 | 3.71 | 4.35 | 3.59 |
| 30-Year Effective Mortgage Interest Rate (%) | 3.55 | 3.65 | 3.81 | 4.66 | 4.34 | 4.94 | 4.32 |
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.
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