Mortgage Application Volume Rises

Washington, DC, Dec. 13, 2012 -- Mortgage application volume last week rose 5.9% from the prior week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

The refinance index jumped 8% from the previous week, according to the MBA's weekly survey, while the purchasing index edged up 0.7% from a week earlier.

The share of applications filed to refinance an existing mortgage totaled 84%.

The average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 3.47% from 3.52% in the previous week.