What does the Sudden Drop in Mortgage Activity mean for Real Estate?

Mortgage applications declined sharply in the just reported period. Given what’s going on today in financial markets, and some recently poor signs in other housing data, I thought we should examine and discuss whether this is a warning sign for real estate or not. In the end, a simple explanation looks like the culprit behind the decline, and it is not one that worries me about real estate moving forward. See the report on mortgage applications and what the dip means. 

Real Estate Relative Shares	09-30-15 Intraday
iShares US Real Estate (NYSE: IYR)	+0.4%
MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG)	+0.1%
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC)	+0.4%
SPDR S&P Homebuilders (NYSE: XHB)	+0.8%
PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM)	-0.3%
D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI)	+0.6%
Ryland (NYSE: RYL)	-1.9%
Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL)	+0.03%
Lennar (NYSE: LEN)	+1.2%

Please see our disclosures at the Wall Street Greek website and author bio pages found there. This article and website in no way offers or represents financial or investment advice. Information is provided for entertainment purposes only.