Loan Volume Rises Again, Driven by Refinances

From Realtor Magazine Online, Daily Real Estate News August 26, 2009

Loan application volume rose again last week, increasing 7.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis compared to the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 6.3 percent and was up 34.1 percent compared with the same week a year ago. This is the fourth consecutive week mortgage application volume has risen.

The increase was driven by refinances, with the refinance index increasing 12.7 percent from the previous week. The purchase index rose 1 percent with nearly all the increase coming from applications for government loans.

Mortgage rates rose slightly but the increase didn’t seem to deter applicants:

* 30-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 5.24 percent from 5.15 percent.
* 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 4.58 percent from 4.52 percent.
* 1-year ARMs increased to 6.74 percent from 6.66 percent.

Source: Mortgage Bankers Association (08/26/2009)