Money Homebuyers again retreat to the sidelines as higher rates crimp affordability March 7, 2023March 7, 2023 Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY Comments Off on Homebuyers again retreat to the sidelines as higher rates crimp affordability Mortgage application volumes were 44% lower than the same week one year ago. The Refinance Index was 74% lower than the same week last year.