MBA: April Mortgage Application Payments Jump 8.8% to $1,889

Homebuyer affordability decreased in April, with the national median payment applied for by applicants rising by 8.8 percent to $1,889 from $1,736 in March, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Thursday.

The MBA Purchase Applications Payment Index measures how new monthly mortgage payments vary across time – relative to income – using data from MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey.

“Rapid home-price growth, low inventory and an 80-basis-point surge in mortgage rates slowed purchase applications in April, with the typical borrower’s principal and interest payment increasing $153 from March and $569 from a year ago,” said Edward Seiler, MBA Associate Vice President of Housing Economics and Executive Director of the Research Institute for Housing America. “Despite strong employment and wage growth, housing affordability has worsened since the start of the year. Mortgage payments are taking up a larger share of homebuyers’ incomes and sky-high inflation is making it more difficult for some would-be buyers to save for a down payment or come up with the additional cash they need to afford a higher monthly payment.”

Seiler said the updated MBA forecast calls for mortgage rates to remain above 5 percent for most of 2022. “But prospective homebuyers should start to see moderation from the double-digit price appreciation reported for well over a year in most of the country,”” he said.

The national PAPI increased 7.8 percent to 162.7 in April from 150.9 in March, meaning payments on new mortgages take up a larger share of a typical person’s income. From a year ago (120.2), the index jumped 27.0 percent. For borrowers applying for lower-payment mortgages (the 25th percentile), the national mortgage payment increased 9.6 percent to $1,236 from $1,129 in March.

Additional Key Findings
• The national median mortgage payment applied for by applicants rose to $1,889 in April, up from $1,736 in March, $1,653 in February and $1,320 in April 2021.
• The national median mortgage payment for FHA loan applicants rose to $1,374 in April, up from $1,254 in March and $1,000 in April 2021.
• The national median mortgage payment for conventional loan applicants rose to $1,967 in April, up from $1,819 in March and $1,388 in April 2021.
• States with the highest PAPI were Idaho (260.2), Nevada (250.7), Arizona (222.3), California (214.7) and Utah (207.1).
• States with the lowest PAPI were Washington, D.C. (96.7), Connecticut (110.7), Louisiana (111.4), Alaska (113.2) and Wyoming (115.5).
• Homebuyer affordability decreased for Black households, with the national PAPI increasing from 153.8 in March to 165.9 in April.
• Homebuyer affordability decreased for Hispanic households, with the national PAPI increasing from 144.4 in March to 155.7 in April.
• Homebuyer affordability decreased for White households, with the national PAPI increasing from 151.6 in March to 163.5 in April.

An increase in the PAPI – indicative of declining borrower affordability conditions – means the mortgage payment to income ratio is higher due to increasing application loan amounts, rising mortgage rates or a decrease in earnings. A decrease in the PAPI – indicative of improving borrower affordability conditions – occurs when loan application amounts decrease, mortgage rates decrease or earnings increase.