The Mortgage Bankers Association reported on October 7, 2026, that its seasonally adjusted mortgage application composite index fell 4.2% in the week ending October 2. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index fell 2%, while the Refinance Index declined 8% from the previous week.
MBA's methodology separates applications for home purchases from applications to refinance an existing mortgage. The survey tracks applications submitted through retail and consumer-direct channels. These indexes describe borrowing activity; completed transactions and local rental demand require their own evidence.
Three checks for owners
- For a planned sale: review the buyer's financing milestones and the property's recent showing and contract activity.
- For a planned refinance: ask the lender for updated written terms and a processing timeline before relying on financing in the property's plan.
- For rental pricing: review local inquiries, comparable rental listings and signed leases to assess the current leasing position.
Keep the report's week-ending date attached to the numbers when comparing future releases. A weekly index move is a prompt to review the plan alongside local evidence.
Sources
MBA, release dated October 7, 2026; data for the week ending October 2: https://www.mba.org/news-and-research/newsroom/news/2026/10/07/mortgage-applications-decrease-in-latest-mba-weekly-survey
MBA, Weekly Applications Survey methodology: https://www.mba.org/docs/default-source/research-and-forecasts/faqs/28286-research-was-methodology-flyer.pdf?sfvrsn=1f50c36e_1
