$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')u]Mortgage applications soar 48% - rates fall
Spike in refinancing following Fed moves leads to nearly 50% jump in Mortgage Bankers' index; home purchases also up.
Last Updated: December 24, 2008: 10:42 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Near record low mortgage rates sent mortgage applications shooting higher last week, especially for refinances, according to an industry report.
The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its overall Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, shot up 48% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Dec. 19.
That was driven by a 62.6% leap in the group's Refinance Index. But the Conventional Purchase Index also increased 17.7%. The only component of the overall index to fall was the Government Purchase Index, which largely tracks FHA loans. It slipped 3.4%
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The report comes a day after the National Association of Realtors reported the number of existing homes sold during November plummeted 8.6% as prices plunged by record amounts. New home sales were also lower, according to a government report. And housing starts and building permits now stand at record low levels.




