Mortgage Applications in U.S. Dip 2.7% in Early August

---

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending August 8, 2014, mortgage applications decreased 2.7 percent from one week earlier.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 2.7 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 4 percent from the previous week to the lowest level since May 2014.  The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 1 percent from one week earlier to the lowest level since February 2014.

The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 2 percent compared with the previous week and was 10 percent lower than the same week one year ago.  The seasonally adjusted Government Purchase Index fell by 1 percent to the lowest level since 2007.

The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 54 percent of total applications from 55 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) remained unchanged at 4.35 percent, with points unchanged at 0.22 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.  The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $417,000) decreased to 4.24 percent from 4.26 percent, with points decreasing to 0.19 from 0.35 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA decreased to 4.04 percent from 4.06 percent, with points increasing to 0.03 from 0.02 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 3.48 percent from 3.51 percent, with points increasing to 0.30 from 0.28 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs decreased to 3.24 percent from 3.32 percent, with points increasing to 0.45 from 0.35 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans.  The effective rate decreased from last week.