Mortgage prepayments jump 58% as refinancings surge

Mortgage prepayments jumped 58% in July from a year ago as cheap rates drove refinancings, according to Black Knight. The prepay volume was up 26% from the prior month. The lowest mortgage rates in almost three years drove more Americans to refinance home loans. The average U.S. rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.6% in the first two weeks of August, the lowest level since November 2016, according to Freddie Mac.