Mortgage Refinance Demand Up 20% in 2021

 

The beginning of 2021 has been an uptick in mortgage rates. This upward climb has many rushing to take advantage of the record low rates. According to Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted rate index, mortgage applications to refinance on a home loan have risen 20% last the first full week in January compared to the week before.

“Booming refinance activity in the first full week of 2021 caused mortgage applications to surge to their highest level since March 2020, despite most mortgage rates in the survey rising last week,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting. “The expectation of additional fiscal stimulus from the incoming administration, and the rollout of vaccines improving the outlook, drove Treasury yields and rates higher.”

According to the report, the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($510,400 or less) increased to 2.88% from 2.86% last week for loans with a 20% down payment. This makes the current rate 99 basis points higher than a year ago.

“For now, an air of mortgage rate invincibility and persistent setting of new record lows has been replaced by a healthy respect for what may be the first stage of a rising rate environment, the first time we’ve seen such a thing since 2018,” said Matthew Graham, chief operating officer at Mortgage News Daily.

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