Rates, Mortgage App Volume Improve Heading into Holiday Season

Rates, Mortgage App Volume Improve Heading into Holiday Season

Mortgage application volume increased for the second consecutive week as interest rates continued to decline. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of that volume, was 2.2 percent higher during the week ending November 18 than the prior week on a seasonally adjusted basis and up 10 percent before adjustment. MBA had adjusted its data for the week ended November 11 to account for the Veterans’ Day holiday. The Refinance Index increased 2 percent from the previous week and was 86 percent lower than the same week one year ago. The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 28.4 percent of total applications from 27.6 percent the previous week. [refiappschart] The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index chalked up its third consecutive