April New Home Purchase Mortgage Applications Decreased 12 Percent

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 14, 2020) — The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS) data for April 2020 shows mortgage applications for new home purchases decreased 12 percent compared from a year ago. Compared to March 2020, applications decreased by 25 percent. This change does not include any adjustment for typical seasonal patterns.

“New home purchase applications severely weakened in April, which coincided with the peak of the social distancing efforts and restrictions on non-essential activities to help slow the spread of COVID-19. During what’s typically the prime home buying season, activity fell 25 percent from March and decreased 12 percent from a year ago,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting. “MBA estimates that new home sales dropped to an annualized pace of 533,000 units – the slowest since December 2016. This decline was in line with data from our Weekly Applications Survey, which indicated a pullback in March and most of April.”

Added Kan, “There’s evidence now that unrealized, pent-up demand is being released as states start to reopen. We expect that heading into the summer, more prospective homebuyers will gradually return to the market.”

Source: Adam DeSanctis
Mortgage Bankers Association
adesanctis@mba.org
(202) 557-2727