Mortgage volume down in week

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- The volume of applications for U.S. mortgages decreased last week, falling by a seasonally adjusted 8.2 percent, an industry group said.

The Market Composite Index, which measures mortgage loan application volume, dropped from 1,245.7 to 1,143.8 in the week ending Jan. 2, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a release Wednesday.

The Refinance Index also fell, dropping 12.3 percent to 5,904.5, the MBA said.

The average interest rate for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages increased from 5.03 percent to 5.07 percent with points falling from 1.24 to 1.16, the organization said.

Rates for the average 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages decreased from 4.79 percent to 4.67 percent. Points in 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell from 1.26 to 1.16.