Mortgage applications soar as rates fall

"Near record low mortgage rates sent mortgage applications shooting higher last week, especially for refinances, according to an industry report.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its overall Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, shot up 48% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Dec. 19.

That was driven by a 62.6% leap in the group's Refinance Index. But the Conventional Purchase Index also increased 17.7%. The only component of the overall index to fall was the Government Purchase Index, which largely tracks FHA loans. It slipped 3.4%"

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Mortgage applications soar as rates fall