WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 16, 2018) – (RealEstateRama) — The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS) data for January 2018 shows mortgage applications for new home purchases increased 18.4 percent compared to January 2017. Compared to December 2017, applications increased by 34 percent. This change does not include any adjustment for typical seasonal patterns.

“Mortgage applications for new homes surged in January and were up 18 percent on a year over year basis,” said Lynn Fisher, MBA Vice President of Research and Economics. “This complements other positive news on US job growth suggesting that economic fundamentals are strong. Based on applications, we Estimate that new home sales were running at a pace of 700,000 on a seasonally adjusted annual basis – the highest such estimate in our survey which began in 2013.”

By product type, conventional loans composed 71.7 percent of loan applications, FHA loans composed 15.3 percent, RHS/USDA loans composed 1.2 percent and VA loans composed 11.7 percent. The average loan size of new homes decreased from $339,203 in December to $338,918 in January.

The MBA estimates new single-family home sales were running at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 700,000 units in January 2018, based on data from the BAS. The new home sales estimate is derived using mortgage application information from the BAS, as well as assumptions regarding market coverage and other factors.

The seasonally adjusted estimate for January is an increase of 26.4 percent from the December pace of 554,000 units. On an unadjusted basis, the MBA estimates that there were 54,000 new home sales in January 2018, an increase of 35 percent from 40,000 new home sales in December.

MBA’s Builder Application Survey tracks application volume from mortgage subsidiaries of home builders across the country. Utilizing this data, as well as data from other sources, MBA is able to provide an early estimate of new home sales volumes at the national, state, and metro level. This data also provides information regarding the types of loans used by new home buyers. Official new home sales estimates are conducted by the Census Bureau on a monthly basis. In that data, new home sales are recorded at contract signing, which is typically coincident with the mortgage application.

For additional information on MBA’s Builder Applications Survey, please click here.

CONTACT
Ali Ahmad

(202) 557- 2727