Demand for mortgage loan applications fell 5.7 percent in the last week of February, according to a survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), and the industry group pointed the finger squarely at higher interest rates.
“The 30-year fixed rate increased to 6.71 percent last week, the highest rate since November 2022, which drove a 6 percent drop in applications," said Joel Kan, vice president and deputy chief economist at MBA, in a press release. After a brief revival in application activity in January when mortgage rates dropped down to 6.2 percent, there has now been three straight weeks of declines in applications as mortgage rates have jumped 50 basis points over the past month.”
The trend is putting downward pressure on both purchase and refinance applications, with the former down 44 percent from a year ago and the latter down 77 percent from a year ago.
Both indexes hit a 28-year low for the second consecutive week.
Kan added that new "data on inflation, employment, and economic activity have signaled that inflation may not be cooling as quickly as anticipated, which continues to put upward pressure on rates.”
If you return to the office after working from home and feel like you're spending more money, you're not alone this year. That's according to a new report.
New York is trying to restrict algorithms that target young users on social media platforms, introducing two new bills that are designed to protect children's mental health.
Delta Airlines today reported third-quarter profits that beat expectations, boosting its full-year growth outlook, as the carrier earnings increased about 60% to $1.1 billion.
Millions of Social Security recipients will get a 3.2% increase in their benefits in 2024, far less than this year's historic boost and reflecting moderating consumer prices.
Design and lifestyle company Apartment Therapy has brought back its annual Small/Cool NYC exhibit to showcase some of the biggest interior design trends. Maxwell Ryan, founder of Apartment Therapy, joined Cheddar News to show some of the designs the company has come up with as well as some unique choices for living spaces of any size.
