A drop in the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages caused an 11.2 percent spike in demand for mortgage applications last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey. The increase was due, in part, to an 18 percent surge in the Refinance Index and a 3 percent jump in the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index. The previous week saw a 13.5 percent drop in overall demand for mortgage applications, despite an adjustment for the Labor Day holiday. Last week’s recovery brought demand back to nearly the same level as before the holiday. More here and here.