U.S. Mortgage Applications Dip 3.5 Percent in Mid-March

---

According to the latest data released today from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 21, 2014, loan application volumes in the U.S. slightly dipped.
 
The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 3.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.  On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 3 percent compared with the previous week.

The Refinance Index decreased 8 percent from the previous week, including an 8.1 percent decline in conventional refinance applications and a 5.8 percent decline in government refinance applications; the government refinance index dropped to the lowest level since July 2011.  In contrast, the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 3 percent from one week earlier, driven mainly by a 4.0 percent increase in conventional purchase applications. Government purchase applications were essentially flat from the week before. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 3 percent compared with the previous week and was 17 percent lower than the same week one year ago.

The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 54 percent of total applications, the lowest level since April 2010, from 57 percent the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity remained unchanged at 8 percent of total applications.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($417,000 or less) increased to 4.56 percent, the highest level since January 2014, from 4.50 percent, with points increasing to 0.29 from  0.26 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.  The effective rate increased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $417,000) increased to 4.45 percent from 4.39 percent, with points increasing to 0.27 from 0.19 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  The effective rate increased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA increased to 4.16 percent from 4.13 percent, with points increasing to 0.23 from 0.18 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  The effective rate increased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 3.62 percent, the highest level since January 2014, from 3.52 percent, with points decreasing to 0.24 from 0.25 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs increased to 3.22 percent, the highest level since January 2014, from 3.09 percent, with points decreasing to 0.32 from 0.38 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  The effective rate increased from last week.