Mortgage Applications Decreased Last Week NEW YORK (Reuters) - Applications for U.S. home mortgages dropped last week as refinancing and purchasing activity slumped in a holiday shortened week, an industry group said on Wednesday. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity declined 10.6 percent to 605.7 in the week ended Dec. 31, after falling 1.7 percent in the MBA's prior week survey. The MBA's purchase index, a gauge of loan requests for home purchases, decreased 13.7 percent last week to 417.3, more than offsetting a 2.7 percent gain the previous week. The MBA's seasonally adjusted index of refinancing applications dropped 5.7 percent to 1,701.3, week, adding to the 7.9 percent decline the prior week. Fixed 30-year mortgage rates averaged 5.67 percent last week, excluding fees, down 5 basis points from 5.72 percent the prior week. Quelle "Mortgage Applications Decreased Last Week" : reuters.com Main page for "Mortgage Applications Decreased Last Week"