Posted To: MND NewsWireThe ease of access to mortgage credit rose in October according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index. An increase in the Index, a product of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), indicates that credit standards are loosening while a decline is a sign that standards are tightening. The 2.5 percent change in October took the composite index to 186.7. Among its components the Conventional MCAI, which itself is composed of two indices, gained 5.5 percent. One of its sub-measures, the Jumbo MCAI, surged by 6.3 percent while the other, the Conforming MCAI was 4.6 percent higher. Moderating the overall gains, the Government MCAI ticked down 0.4 percent. “Credit availability increased in October, driven largely by an expansion in the supply of conventional credit , while government credit fell…(read more)Forward this article via email: Send a copy of this story to someone you know that may want to read it.