Slight pickup in homebuyer loan demand may prove short-lived

Applications for purchase mortgages were up 2 percent last week when compared to the week before but down 1 percent from a year ago, according to a weekly survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Applications for purchase mortgages were up 2 percent last week when compared to the week before but down 1 percent from a year ago, according to a weekly survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association.