US Mortgage Rates Drop to 11-Month Low

BlockBeats News, September 10th. Last week, U.S. mortgage rates fell to their lowest level in nearly a year, stimulating a surge in refinancing activity and prompting potential homebuyers to enter the market. According to data released by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) on Wednesday, for the week ending September 5th, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage contract rate fell by 15 basis points to 6.49%. The rates for 15-year fixed-rate loans and five-year adjustable-rate loans also dropped to their lowest level in about a year. This decline was enough to push the MBA's Mortgage Activity Index (covering home purchases and refinancing) to its highest level in three years. If financing costs continue to decline, it will provide much-needed support to the sluggish real estate market. Residential construction has been a weak spot in the U.S. economy—out of the past five quarters, it has been a drag on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in four quarters. MBA's Purchase Application Index rose by 6.6%, reaching its highest level since the first week of July. The Refinance Index surged by over 12%, hitting the highest level in nearly a year. (Jin10)