Mortgage Applications Fall as Rates Rise

Total mortgage application volume fell 1.1% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. That dip occurred as the interest rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose to 3.1% from 3.03% along with an increase in points and origination fees.

“Increased optimism about the strength of the economy pushed Treasury yields higher following last week’s FOMC meeting. Mortgage rates in response rose across all loan types, with the benchmark 30-year fixed rate reaching its highest level since early July 2021,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting.

Applications to refinance a home loan, which are highly sensitive to weekly rate movements, decreased 1% from the previous week and were essentially flat from a year ago. The increase in interest rates occurred late in the week and continued into this week, suggesting the negative effect on refinance demand will be more severe in next week’s report.

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