After decreasing 7.3% the previous week, total mortgage application volume fell again during the week ended Sept. 23, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey.
Total volume decreased 0.7%, on an adjusted basis, compared with the previous week, according to the MBA’s data. Applications for refinances decreased 2%, while applications for purchases increased 1%.
On an unadjusted basis, total volume decreased 1% compared with the previous week.
Applications for purchases increased 1% on an unadjusted basis and increased 10% compared with the same week one year earlier.
The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 62.7% of total applications from 63.1% the previous week.
Mortgage rates decreased slightly compared with the previous week. The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) was 3.66%, down from 3.70%.
The average rate for a 30-year jumbo FRM was 3.64%, down from 3.69%.
The average rate for a 30-year FRM backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was 3.52%, down from 3.56%.
The average rate for a 15-year FRM was 2.95%, down from 2.99%.
The average rate for a 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) was 2.92%, down from 2.96%.
The ARM share of activity remained unchanged at 4.4% of total applications.
Looking at the government-backed loans, applications for mortgages backed by the FHA represented about 10.2% of all applications – about flat with the previous week. The Veterans Affairs share of total applications was 11.9%, up from 11.6%. The U.S. Department of Agriculture share of total applications was 0.6%, down from 0.7%.