Record-low mortgage rates sparked a wave in mortgage applications for home purchase and refinancings last week, increasing more than 20 percent in a week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports.

For the week ending Jan. 13, mortgage applications for refinancing applications jumped 26.4 percent while home purchase applications, a future gauge for home buying, increased 10.3 percent. 

"With mortgage rates reaching new lows, refinance volume jumped," Michael Fratantoni, MBA's vice president of research and economics, said in a statement. "Purchase activity also increased as buyers returned to the market after the holiday season."

Freddie Mac reported that 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged a record low of 3.89 percent for the week ending Jan. 12. For six consecutive weeks, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages -- the most popular choice among home buyers -- has averaged below 4 percent.

Source: “Mortgage Applications Surge on Refinancing Demand,” Reuters