Mortgage interest rates are over 7%. Sure we have seen rates higher but home prices have also hit an all-time high.
“Mortgage applications declined to the lowest level since December 1996, despite a drop in mortgage rates. Both purchase and refinance applications fell, with the purchase index hitting a 28-year low, as prospective buyers remain on the sidelines due to low housing inventory and elevated mortgage rates,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “The 30-year fixed mortgage rate decreased to 7.21 percent last week, but rates remained more than a full percentage point higher than a year ago, despite mixed data on the health of the economy and signs of a cooling job market. The refinance index dropped to its lowest level since January 2023, driven by a 6 percent decline in conventional refinances.”
The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 30.0 percent of total applications from 30.1 percent the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity decreased to 6.7 percent of total applications.
The FHA share of total applications increased to 13.7 percent from 13.2 percent the week prior. The VA share of total applications decreased to 11.3 percent from 11.6 percent the week prior. The USDA share of total applications increased to 0.6 percent from 0.4 percent the week prior. [Mortgage Bankers Association]
Locally we are not seeing a slowdown in home purchases but homeowners are less likely to want to sell.
