Applications for new home purchases jumped approximately 8% according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Builder Application Survey for October. Conventional loans made up 68.2% of all loan applications; FHA loans made up 16.2%, RHS/USDA loans made up 1.5% and VA loans made up 14.2%. The MBA’s chief economist, Mike Fratantoni said, “applications for new home purchases picked up in October, particularly for higher-priced homes. The continued improvement in the job market and still low mortgage rates are supporting the upper levels of the purchase market while the tight credit environment continues to constrain sales at the entry level.” Additionally, the average loan amount on new homes rose nearly $2,000 from September to October 2014. More here