NationalMortgageNews reports on a seasonally adjusted basis, purchase applications rose 13 percent over the week ending Jan. 4, but are up 47 percent on an unadjusted basis, their highest level since April 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Noting home sales burgeoning in Calif. in Dec. because of concerns over the fiscal cliff, DataQuick says home sales in Southern Calif. are at their highest level in three years. As MHProNews understands, Calif. once had one of the higher foreclosure rates in the nation. The average contract interest rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage (FRM) with conforming loan balances stood at 3.61 percent, while the average for an FHA-insured loan of 30 years rose four basis points to 3.39 percent. The MBA also says a jumbo 30-year FRM rose ten basis points to 3.88 percent, while the 15-year jumbo remained steady at 2.88 percent.
