The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a slight increase of 0.2% in U.S. mortgage applications for the week ending November 26th, sustaining most of the 5.2% decrease observed in the prior period. Refinancing applications declined by 5.7% from the previous week, correlating with a 3 basis point rise in benchmark mortgage rates. However, applications for new home purchases rose significantly by 7.6%, reaching their highest level since early 2023.