Mortgage applications

The numbers illustrate how quickly housing costs are increasing and the price buyers might pay if they wait to finance.

While the purchase index registered a tiny uptick, activity has fallen to nearly the same level seen during the first months of the pandemic shutdown.

A sustained downturn in 2022 activity has also led the Mortgage Bankers Association to revise its originations forecast for the year.

A 5% surge in purchase applications drove up overall activity, while average loan amounts also increased across all categories.

While longtime non-QM companies have originated mortgages in the segment for years, new contenders have come into the market as the number of potential customers who fit into the category grows.

Purchase numbers came in higher for both conventional and government activity, while the average loan amount shows signs of easing.

Surging interest rates have pushed refinance applications down by over 70% in a year, while ARMs have doubled their share in three months.

Meanwhile, adjustable-rate mortgages saw their largest volume share since 2019.

Refinances now also make up less than 40% of new applications, with numbers at their lowest since 2019, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

But the sluggish pace of refinances brought down overall application numbers last week.