With a number of banks cutting their mortgage departments (Wells Fargo JV and Everbank most recently), it seems the 'weakness' in the housing recovery may be more than transitory. For the 11th week of the last 12, mortgage applications fell for the fastest three-month collapse since June 2009. Mortgage activity is now its lowest in two years with refinancing activity down 57% from its recent peak and new purchases have dropped to their lows of the year (down 13% from the highs) and stand exactly at three-year average levels.
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and for now, despite some homebuilders collapsing, the broad market wants to ignore this reality...
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Charts: Bloomberg