Mortgage Application Payments Increased 0.3 Percent To $2,133 In November
Homebuyer affordability declined in November, with the national median payment applied for by purchase applicants increasing to $2,133 from $2,127 from October. This is according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI), which measures how new monthly mortgage payments vary across time – relative to income – using data from MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey (WAS).
“Homebuyer affordability conditions declined slightly in November as elevated mortgage rates and rising home prices impacted prospective buyers’ purchasing power,” said Edward Seiler, MBA’s Associate Vice President, Housing Economics, and Executive Director, Research Institute for Housing America. “With demographic support for housing demand, and the gradual increase in housing supply that is expected, home sales and purchase originations are expected to grow in 2025 even as affordability challenges persist.”
An increase in MBA’s PAPI – indicative of declining borrower affordability conditions – means that the mortgage payment to income ratio (PIR) 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.
The national PAPI (Figure 1) increased 0.3 percent to 163.3 in November from 162.8 in October. Median earnings were up 2.9 percent compared to one year ago, and while payments decreased 0.2 percent, the moderate earnings growth means that the PAPI is down 3.0 percent on an annual basis. For borrowers applying for lower-payment mortgages (the 25th percentile), the national mortgage payment increased to $1,436 in November from $1,431 in October.
Additional Key Findings of MBA’s Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI) – November 2024
* The national median mortgage payment was $2,133 in November—up $6 from October. It is down by $4 from one year ago, equal to a 0.2% decrease.
* The national median mortgage payment for FHA loan applicants was $1,898 in November, up from $1,842 in October and down from $1,902 in November 2023.
* The national median mortgage payment for conventional loan applicants was $2,133, down from $2,134 in October and down from $2,137 in November 2023.
* The top five states with the highest PAPI were: Nevada (248.7), Idaho (244.2), Arizona (220.7), Florida (209.9), and Tennessee (206.0).
* The top five states with the lowest PAPI were: Louisiana (109.6), Connecticut (117.4), Alaska (119.3), New York (126.1), and West Virginia (128.9).
* Homebuyer affordability decreased for Black households, with the national PAPI increasing from 162.8 in October to 163.3 in November.
* Homebuyer affordability decreased for Hispanic households, with the national PAPI increasing from 154.7 in October to 155.1 in November.
* Homebuyer affordability decreased for White households, with the national PAPI increasing from 165.2 in October to 165.7 in November.
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