March 19 (Bloomberg) -- Mortgage applications in the U.S. decreased for the fifth time in the last six weeks, led by a slump in refinancing. The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of applications to buy a home or refinance a loan fell 2.9 percent last week to 652, the lowest level of the year, from 671.1 a week earlier.

South Carolina foreclosures rose in late 2007 to their highest level in more than two years, according to a lender association report Thursday. While South Carolina's mortgage distress worsened, its problems were overshadowed by those of California, Florida and other big states that drove the national foreclosure rates above South Carolina's. The Mortgage Bankers Association's quarterly report ...

More foreclosure records were broken in the fourth quarter of 2007, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported on Thursday.

A sign stands sentry outside an existing home on the market in the Country Club area southeast of downtown Denver on Monday, Sept. 24, 2007. Mortgage application volume declined 2.7 percent for the week ending Sept. 28, despite a drop in interest rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly application survey.

A sign stands sentry outside an existing home on the market in the Country Club area southeast of downtown Denver on Monday, Sept. 24, 2007. Mortgage application volume declined 2.7 percent for the week ending Sept. 28, despite a drop in interest rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly application survey.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Mortgage application volume declined 2.7 percent for the week ending Sept. 28, despite a drop in interest rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly application survey.

Mortgage applications in the U.S. rose 2.4 percent last week, led by gains in refinancing. The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of applications to buy a home or refinance a loan rose to 673.2 from 657.4 the prior week.

Kenneth Harney -- Nation's Housing Just how bad is the foreclosure situation? If you caught summaries of the latest delinquency and foreclosure numbers released by the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, you could only conclude: Yikes, it is getting scary out there:

WASHINGTON - Just how bad is the foreclosure situation? If you caught summaries of the latest delinquency and foreclosure numbers released by the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, you could only conclude: yikes.

The pace of foreclosure starts hit a record last quarter, but the Mortgage Bankers Association says the numbers are skewed by four large states.