Mortgage applications drop

This week’s MBA mortgage application index provided yet more proof that troubles in the housing market are far from over. Applications fell 3.9% to a four-month low, as higher interest rates and increased inventories scared off buyers. The purchase index dropped 4.9%, and the refinancing index was down 2.5% at its lowest level for this year.

It’s now mid-2007 and no signs of improvement are to be seen. The housing slump seems to be getting much more serious than expected, and economists believe it may well extend until the end of the year and beyond. Furthermore, sales and prices are dropping, but yet inventories aren’t moving. Lennar Corp., the largest U.S. homebuilder, reported financial losses for the quarter ended May 31, and observed a drop of 31% in new orders. As long as inventories stay on the market, home builders will continue to suffer losses, but buyer activity is still relatively low, and things may get worse when the “active” summer season ends.

…We’ll be anticipating the Fed’s statement…

Purchase Applications Rising

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced that mortgage purchase applications increased 0.1% last week, while refinancing applications dropped 0.5%, contributing to an overall drop of 0.2% in mortgage applications from the previous week. Analysts say that this is a sign that the spring home buying season is beginning and consumers are taking advantage of low interest rates and low property prices. Seriously, mortgage applications are decreasing, what’s so good about it?

At this point, I don’t see signs of any improvement in the market situation. A 0.1% increase in mortgage purchase applications does not a spring make. Let’s wait for some more consumer activity before drawing any conclusions. Supply is still higher than demand and there are probably fewer consumers who feel bold enough to take a loan or purchase a home. Both sellers and buyers are waiting to see what will happen because no one wants to put their money at risk. I guess it will take several weeks to collect sufficient data to hint at a new market trend.