mortgage applications rose 22 last week compared with the previous week prompted by a slight decline in interest rates according to the mortgage bankers associations seasonally adjusted index refinance applications which are usually most sensitive to weekly rate moves rose 2 for the week but were still 86 lower than the same week one year ago even with interest rates now back from their recent high of 716 a month ago there are precious few who can still benefit from a refinance – just 220000 according to real estate data firm black knight mortgage applications to purchase a home rose 3 for the week but they were down 41 from a year ago some potential buyers may now be venturing back in hearing that there is less competition and more negotiating power but there is still a shortage of homes for sale and prices have not come down significantly rates are still twice what they were at the beginning of the year but they eased somwhat last week the average contract interest rate for 30year fixedrate mortgages with conforming loan balances 647200 or less decreased to 667 from 690 with points increasing to 068 from 056 including the origination fee for loans with a 20 down payment the decrease in mortgage rates should improve the purchasing power of prospective homebuyers who have been largely sidelined as mortgage rates have more than doubled in the past year joel kan an mba economist said in a release with the decline in rates the arm share adjustablerate of applications also decreased to 88 of loans last week down from the range of 10 and 12 during the past two months mortgage rates havent moved at all this week as the upcoming thanksgiving holiday tends to weigh on volumes its not that things arent moving they just arent moving like normal said matthew graham chief operating officer at mortgage news daily expect things to get back closer to normal next week but for the market to continue to wait until december 13 and 14 for the biggest moves thats when the government releases its next major report on inflation and the federal reserve announces its next move on interest rates