Mortgage demand has decreased to the lowest in 22 years between growth rates and slowing home sales

June 9, 2022: -Mortgage rates are back after a short drop in May, and the housing market is still grieving a lack of listings. As a consequence, mortgage demand is declining.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index, complete mortgage application volume decreased 6.5% in the previous week. Demand reaches the lowest level in 22 years.

The average contract interest price for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances grew to 5.40% from 5.33%, increasing to 0.60 from 0.51 for loans with a 20% down payment.

The huge majority of mortgage holders have rates considerably less than the existing one. Even those pulling cash out of their homes choose second mortgages rather than refinancing their first liens. Refinance demand, sensitively to weekly rate moves, lost another 6% for the week and was 75% lower than one year ago.

“While rates were still lower than four weeks ago, they remained high enough to suppress refinance activity. Only government refinances experienced a slight increase in the previous week,” said Joel Kan, an MBA economist.

Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home decreased the 7% for the week and were 21% less than the same week one year ago.

“The purchase market is mourning from persistently low housing inventory and the increase in mortgage rates over the past two months. These worsening affordability challenges are particularly hard on prospective first-time buyers,” Kan said.

According to a different survey by Mortgage News Daily, Mortgage rates moved even higher to start this week.

Rates have been slim for a few weeks after moving decidedly higher in the last months.