HousingWire informs MHProNews that in January, 2013 applications for loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) rose to 147,509, an increase from 127,057 in December and up from 126,835 January 2012. In January the FHA insured 134,461 single-family homes, an increase from 113,856 the prior month and 102,011 from the previous January totals. The average January 2013 mortgage was $185,353. Also in January, borrower credit scores remained high—scores of 695 for home-purchases and 701 for refinancings. At the same time there were 738,109 serious delinquent loans, resulting in a default rate of 9.6 percent for the month.

(Image credit: Federal Housing Administration)