U.S. Mortgage Applications Fall 1.2% as 30-Year Rate Slips to 7.3%
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Nov 4
U.S. Mortgage Applications Fall 1.2% as 30-Year Rate Slips to 7.3%
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Nov 4
Summary
Total mortgage application volume fell 1.2% last week, extending the slide even after rates dropped to their lowest level since September 2026 following the Fed's October pause on further hikes.
The average 30-year fixed contract rate eased to 7.3% from 7.37%, but refinance demand rose only 0.1% and remained 60% below a year earlier because rates are still about 1 percentage point above year-ago levels.
Purchase applications dropped 2% from the prior week and were 19% lower than a year ago, signaling the housing market remains frozen after September's sharp rate jump.
Adjustable-rate mortgages gained traction as borrowers sought lower initial payments: the 5/1 ARM rate fell to 6.29% from 6.41%, lifting ARM share to its highest since September 2025.
Mortgage News Daily said rates ticked slightly higher at the start of this week after stronger-than-expected job openings data, underscoring how quickly labor-market strength can reverse recent rate relief.