U.S. mortgage requests stumble to 7-month low

7/2/2009

U.S. mortgage applications plunged to a seven-month low last week as demand for home refinancing loans tumbled 30 percent, data from an industry group showed yesterday.

The drop does not bode well for the hard-hit U.S. housing market, which has been showing some signs of stabilization, with sales rising and home price declines moderating in many regions of the country.

Borrowing costs on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, excluding fees, averaged 5.34 percent, down 0.10 percentage point from the previous week, but significantly higher than the all-time low of 4.61 percent set in the week ended March 27. Fixed 15-year mortgage rates averaged 4.81 percent, down from 4.93 percent the previous week. Rates on one-year ARMs decreased to 6.52 percent from 6.54 percent.