Mortgage Purchase Applications Rise

Washington, DC, Oct. 17, 2012 -- Mortgage application volume declined last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, although demand for purchase loans hit their highest level since June.

MBA said its index of mortgage application activity, which includes both refinancing and home purchase demand, fell 4.2% in the week ended Oct. 12.

The purchase index, which measures loan requests for home purchases, increased by 1% over the previous week, putting the index at its highest level since June.

The refinance index fell 5.3% from the previous week. The refinance share of total mortgage activity decreased to 82% of total applications from 83% the prior week.

Fixed 30-year mortgage rates rose to 3.57%.


Other Archived Articles

Mercier Has Incentives for Consumers, Retailers   Full Article
Montmagny, QC, Canada, May 31, 2013 -- Mercier Wood Flooring is holding a promotion for both retailers and consumers.

Consumer Sentiment Near Six-Year High   Full Article
Ann Arbor, MI, May 31, 2013 -- Consumer sentiment rose to the highest level in almost six years in May, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index.

Consumer Spending Falls in April   Full Article
Washington, DC, May 31, 2013 -- Consumer spending fell in April by the largest amount in almost a year, according to the Commerce Department.

Valinge Wins U.S. Patent on Wood Fiber Process   Full Article
Viken, Sweden, May 31, 2013 -- Valinge said that its subsidiary CeraLoc Innovation Belgium has been granted a U.S. patent regarding how its wood fiber floors are manufactured.

New LEED Version Getting Field Tests   Full Article
Washington, DC, May 31, 2013 -- The U.S. Green Building Council said that nearly 100 building projects worldwide are already using LEED v4 by participating in the LEED v4 beta.

Mortgage Rates Highest in More Than a Year   Full Article
Washington, DC, May 31, 2013 -- Mortgage rates hit their highest level in more than a year, according to Freddie Mac.

Builder Sentiment Still Positive in Multi-Family   Full Article
Washington, DC, May 31, 2013 -- Builders were a little less optimistic about the multi-family construction market in the first quarter, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Regupol America Gets GreenCircle Certification   Full Article
Lebanon, PA, May 30, 2013 -- Regupol America, a supplier of recycled rubber flooring for athletic and commercial surfaces, has again earned a GreenCircle certification.

GDP Hurt by Lower Government Spending   Full Article
Washington, DC, May 30, 2013 -- Falling government spending weighed on the U.S. economy in the first quarter more than initially thought, according to the Commerce Department.

Jobless Claims Tick Higher Last Week   Full Article
Washington, DC, May 30, 2013 -- Initial claims for unemployment benefits last week rose to a seasonally adjusted 354,000, according to the Labor Department.

Pending Home Sales Up 10% from Last Year   Full Article
Washington, DC, May 30, 2013 -- Pending home sales edged up 0.3% in April, the National Association of Realtors reported Thursday.

Home Sellers Gaining More Clout   Full Article
New York, NY, May 30, 2013 -- Home sellers are slowly gaining the upper hand, according to a survey by real estate firm Century 21.

Bank-Owned Home Sales at Five-Year Low   Full Article
Irvine, CA, May 30, 2013 -- Sales of bank-owned properties in the first quarter hit their lowest level since early 2008, according to tracking firm RealtyTrac.

Bamboo Hardwoods Signs Distributor Horizon   Full Article
Raleigh, NC, May 30, 2013 -- Bamboo Hardwoods said it has entered into an agreement with Horizon Forest Products to distribute its bamboo flooring.

Armstrong Raising Wood Prices in July   Full Article
Lancaster, PA, May 30, 2013 -- Armstrong said it will raise prices 5-7% in the U.S. and Canada on all solid hardwood and on select engineered hardwood products, effective with shipments on July 15.

Armstrong Commercial Products Win ADEX Awards   Full Article
Lancaster, PA, May 29, 2013 -- Armstrong Commercial Flooring won Awards for Design Excellence its Striations BioBased Tile and Raffia premium vinyl composition tile.

Mortgage Applications Down as Rates Rise   Full Article
Washington, DC, May 29, 2013 -- Mortgage application volume last week fell 9% from the prior week as refinance applications fell for a third consecutive week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Cobble Tufting Equipment Maker Sold   Full Article
Chattanooga, TN, May 29, 2013 -- The family-owned Cobble tufting equipment manufacturer has been sold to Michel Van de Wiele NV of Marke, Belgium, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press

CAP Carpet Designs New Retailing Strategy   Full Article
Wichita, KS, May 29, 2013 – CAP Carpet has rolled out what it calls The Floor Project, a new way of selling floorcovering at retail.

Topps Tiles Cutting Costs After Sales Decline   Full Article
London, England, May 29, 2013 -- Tile and wood flooring chain Topps Tiles today said it was cutting costs in response to falling sales.