Mortgage activity down, despite low rates

WASHINGTON, July 18 (UPI) -- U.S. mortgage applications fell 2.1 percent in the week ending Friday with interest rates hitting new lows, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

The trade group's Refinancing Index also fell, dropping 3 percent from the previous week.

In the week, interest rates for 30-year, fixed-rate conforming mortgages fell from 3.86 percent to 3.79 percent, the lowest rate in the history of the survey. Average points for 30-year-fixed-rate loans fell from 0.41 to 0.36.

The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages also hit a new low, falling from 3.2 percent to 3.15 percent, with points decreasing to 0.43 from 0.47 in the week.