The
Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported on Wednesday the mortgage
application volume in the U.S. fell 1.8 percent in the week ended July 2,
following a 6.9 percent plunge in the previous week. This marked the second
straight weekly decrease in total mortgage application volume.
According
to the report, refinance applications declined 2.3 percent, while applications
to purchase a home dropped 1.1 percent.
Meanwhile,
the average fixed 30-year mortgage rate decreased from 3.20 percent to 3.15
percent, the lowest in three weeks.
“Swift
home-price growth across much of the country, driven by insufficient housing
supply, is weighing on the purchase market and is pushing average loan amounts
higher,” noted Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and
industry forecasting.