Mortgage applications up 6.3% last week

Mortgage applications rose 6.3% last week as more homeowners filed purchase applications and refinanced their home loans.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said its refinance index increased 6% last week after three weeks of declines.

The trade group said the refinance index is not seasonally adjusted but does include an adjustment for Labor Day. On an unadjusted basis, refinancings fell 15.2% and are down 23.5% from a year earlier.

The purchase index climbed 7% from a week prior, while the unadjusted purchase index fell 16.2%. The unadjusted overall composite index decreased 15.4% from the prior week.

The refinance share of mortgage activity represented 77.3% of total applications, compared to 77.1% a week earlier.

The MBA said the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage slid to 4.17% last week from 4.23% a week prior. The average rate for a 15-year fixed mortgage inched down to 3.4% from 3.41

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