Housing Flat.

MBA Mortgage Applications (week ended 2/20/2014)

 

– Purchase Index Week/Week +5.0%. Previous weeks were -7.0%, -7.0%, -2.0%, -0.1%, -3.0%, +24.0%, -5.0%, +1.0%, -7.0%, +1.0%, +3.0%, and -10.0%.

– Refinance Index Week/Week -8.0%. Previous weeks were -16.0%, -10.0%, +3.0%, -5.0%, +22.0%. +66.0%, -12.0%, +1.0%, +0.0%, +13.0%, and -13%.

– Composite Index Week/Week -3.5%. Previous weeks were -13.2%, -9.0%, +1.3%, -3.2%, +14.2%, +49.1%, -9.1%, +0.9%, -3.3%, +7.3%, and -7.3%.

The Purchase Index is important because it relates to Existing Home Sales and Housing Starts. It is up for the first time in 6 weeks.

 
New Home Sales (January 2015)

– New Home Sales (seasonally adjusted, annualized)  481,000. Previous was 482,000.

The modest gain follows an 8.1% gain in December.