U.S. mortgage applications climb to 11-month high: MBA

[January 16, 2019]    (Reuters) - The number of U.S. consumers who applied for loans to buy a home and to refinance one rose to an 11-month high last week, signaling the recent drop in interest rates is reviving housing activity, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.

A real estate sign advertising a new home for sale is pictured in Vienna, Virginia, outside of Washington, October 20, 2014. REUTERS/Larry Downing

The Washington-based industry group's seasonally adjusted gauge on mortgage applications increased 13.5 percent to 411.8 in the week ended Jan. 11. This was the strongest reading since February 2018.

(Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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