Breaking two weeks of declines, mortgage applications increased 5.3% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 2, 2014.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 5.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

The Refinance Index increased 2% from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 9% from one week earlier to the highest level since January 2014.

“It is official: we are in a majority purchase market for the first time since 2009,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s chief economist. “A sizeable increase in purchase applications last week likely reflected the impact of somewhat lower mortgage rates as well as continued growth in the job market, as confirmed by Friday’s employment report from the BLS.”

Despite the strong increase in the purchase market last week, volume continues to run 16% behind last year’s pace.

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29928-mortgage-applications-climb-53-for-week