Charles Nenner on CNBC Jun 17, 2009

Mortgage Applications Down as Rates Surge Higher

The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage applications, which includes both purchase and refinance loans, for the week ended May 29 decreased 16.2 percent to 658.7.

Tom Marano, chief executive of mortgage operations at GMAC, in an exclusive interview with Reuters on Tuesday, said home loan volume at GMAC is about 75 percent lower now than when mortgage rates hit record lows several months ago.

"Up until the past week and a half, the Federal Reserve had been successful at bringing interest rates on mortgages down," he said.

Borrowing costs on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, excluding fees, averaged 5.25 percent, up 0.44 percentage point from the previous week, its highest level since the week ended Jan. 30.

It was also significantly higher than the all-time low of 4.61 percent set in the week ended March 27. The survey has been conducted weekly since 1990.

Source: CNBC