US MBA Text: Mkt Composite -0.1%, Refis -1% August 31 Wk

     WASHINGTON (MNI) - The following is the text of the Mortgage Bankers

Association's Mortgage Applications Survey released Wednesday morning:

     Mortgage applications decreased 0.1 percent from one week earlier,

according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage

Applications Survey for the week ending August 31, 2018.

     The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume,

decreased 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On

an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 2 percent compared with the previous

week. The Refinance Index decreased 1 percent from the previous week. The

seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 1 percent from one week earlier.

The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 2 percent compared with the previous

week and was 2 percent higher than the same week one year ago.

     The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 38.9 percent of total

applications from 38.7 percent the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage

(ARM) share of activity decreased to 6.1 percent of total applications.

     The FHA share of total applications remained unchanged at 10.2 percent from

the week prior. The VA share of total applications decreased to 10.0 percent

from 10.5 percent the week prior. The USDA share of total applications increased

to 0.8 percent from 0.7 percent the week prior.

     The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with

conforming loan balances ($453,100 or less) increased to 4.80 percent from 4.78

percent, with points decreasing to 0.43 from 0.46 (including the origination

fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate remained

unchanged from last week.

     The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with

jumbo loan balances (greater than $453,100) decreased to 4.67 percent from 4.68

percent, with points remained unchanged at 0.30 (including the origination fee)

for 80 percent LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

     The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed

by the FHA increased to 4.79 percent from 4.77 percent, with points decreasing

to 0.69 from 0.75 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans. The

effective rate remained unchanged from last week.

     The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages

decreased to 4.23 percent from 4.24 percent, with points decreasing to 0.45 from

0.48 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans. The effective

rate decreased from last week.

     The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs increased to 4.09 percent

from 3.95 percent, with points decreasing to 0.31 from 0.34 (including the

origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans. The effective rate increased from

last week.

--MNI Washington Bureau; tel: +1 202-371-2121; email: kevin.kastner@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: MAUDS$,M$U$$$,MK$$$$,M$$MO$]