Changes in Interest Rates and Home Mortgage Applications (1990 – Present)
Mortgage applications have historically been highly sensitive to changes in interest rates. The chart below highlights the relationship between changes in U.S. 10-year Treasury yields and home mortgage applications. Typically, periods of rising interest rates hamper mortgage applications, and consequently reduce the volume of home sales. Given this relationship and the Fed’s emphasis on supporting the U.S. housing sector, it appears unlikely the Fed will allow interest rates to rise materially in the near-term.