Mortgage Application Volumes Dip in U.S.

---

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 6, 2012, mortgage applications decreased 2.4 percent from one week earlier.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 2.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.  On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 2.1 percent compared with the previous week. 

The Refinance Index decreased 3.1 percent from the previous week.  The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 0.5 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 0.1 percent compared with the previous week and was 5.5 percent higher than the same week one year ago.  There was no adjustment made for Good Friday.

The four week moving average for the seasonally adjusted Market Index is down 2.08 percent.  The four week moving average is up 2.19 percent for the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index, while this average is down 3.45 percent for the Refinance Index.

The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased for the eighth consecutive week to 70.5 percent of total applications from 71.2 percent the previous week.  This is the lowest refinance share since July 29, 2011.  The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity remained unchanged at 5.5 percent of total applications from the previous week.

In March 2012, the share of applications for investment properties increased to 8.3 percent from 7.4 percent in February 2012.  However, the increase in investor share was driven by refinance applications for investment properties (which increased to 9.2 percent in March 2012 from 7.7 percent in February 2012), as the share of purchase applications for investment homes decreased over the month, from 6.1 percent in February 2012 to 5.7 percent in March 2012.  The investor share of purchase applications also decreased on a year over year basis, falling from 5.8 percent in March 2011 to its current level of 5.7 percent in March 2012.  While MBA tracks applications for second homes and investment properties separately, giving them the ability to distinguish between the two, the combined share of investment and second home applications for home purchase had the same directional components for the month of March 2012 - up on the whole and up for refinance applications last month, but down for home purchase activity.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($417,500 or less)decreased to 4.10 percent from 4.16 percent, with points remaining unchanged at 0.43 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.  This is the lowest 30-year fixed rate since March 9, 2012.  The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $417,500) decreased to 4.43 percent from 4.46 percent, with points decreasing to 0.36 from 0.49 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  This is the lowest 30-year jumbo rate since March 9, 2012.  The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA decreased to 3.87 percent from3.89 percent, with points decreasing to 0.55 from 0.58 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  This is the lowest FHA rate since March 9, 2012.  The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 3.37 percent from 3.40 percent, with points decreasing to 0.37 from 0.41 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  This is the lowest 15-year fixed rate since March 9, 2012. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs decreased to 2.89 percent from 2.93 percent, with points increasing to 0.38 from 0.35 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  This is the lowest 5/1 ARM rate since March 9, 2012.  The effective rate decreased from last week.