by Calculated Risk on 9/26/2012 07:03:00 AM

From the MBA: Mortgage Rates Drop to New Survey Lows

The Refinance Index increased 3 percent from the previous week to the highest level in six weeks. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 1 percent from one week earlier.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($417,500 or less) decreased to 3.63 percent, the lowest rate in the history of the survey, from 3.72 percent, with points decreasing to 0.41 from 0.45 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.

Click on graph for larger image.

The first graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index. The purchase index has been mostly moving sideways over the last two years.

So far the purchase index has not indicated an increase in purchase activity, although the recent Fed survey of loan officers suggested there has been some increase.


The second graph shows the refinance index.

The refinance activity is at the highest level in six weeks and has been generally moving up over the last year.