Mortgage applications increased in two weekly national surveys. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) weekly survey of gross national mortgage applications increased 16.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Oct. 2. The Mortgage Maxx weekly survey, which calculates the number of households filing applications by adjusting the gross volume of applications, also increased 7.5% during the same time period. The MBA index of government loan applications — for loans with government insurance, like the Federal Housing Administration —  increased 14.4% and is at a record level. MBA’s index of refinance applications increased 18.2%, as refinance mortgages took a 66.3% share of total applications, up from 65.3% the week prior. The purchase index increased 12.9%, it’s highest level since January. Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) took a 6.1% share of all applications, down from 6.2% one week ago. According to Mortgage Maxx, even though seasonally adjusted rates may increase in the weeks leading up to the scheduled expiration of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, real activity may decline as time runs out to close on a deal before the Nov. 30 deadline. “This program may indeed pull demand forward producing a hangover just as the auto industry currently is experiencing post ‘cash for clunkers,’” according to a Mortgage Maxx release. Write to Austin Kilgore.