Mortgage applications, a future gauge of home buying, had a sharp jump as more consumers rushed to take advantage of low interest rates, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports.
For the week ending Dec. 2, mortgage applications increased 12.8 percent. Applications for home purchase jumped 8.3 percent from a week earlier while applications for refinancing soared 15.3 percent.
Of the home purchase applications, 85.5% were for fixed-rate 30-year loans.
"Coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday, applications increased significantly as mortgage rates dropped to their lowest levels in about two months," Michael Fratantoni, MBA vice president of research and economics, said in a statement. "In particular, refinance applications increased sharply, with some lenders seeing refinance volume double.
Source: “Mortgage Applications Jump 12.8% as Refinancing Volume Soars,” HousingWire (Dec. 7, 2011)