There certainly is not much discussion about this issue across the country, in which the emphasis is on gun violence due to the recent Connecticut shootings, but the country is currently in the middle of a mortgage refinancing growth that is expected to persist well into the next year.

Average U.S. fixed mortgages rates rose this week, but have stayed near record lows. This trend has started making more Americans either buy homes or perhaps refinance their own loans.

According to a weekly applications survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association, refinancings are at their highest since January 2009, reaching up to 8% from the first week of December. Based on their index, the mortgage loan application volume has increased up to 6.2% overall. This increase is accredited to the continued low mortgage rates as well as the slightly improving economy.

On the other hand, mortgage buyer, Freddie Mac, states that the standard 30-year loan rate increased five tenths of a percent from 3.32% to 3.37% last week. This is just over the 3.31% rate listed a month ago, which is the lowest on record since 1971.

Those are extremely low rates that can be locked in for the rest of your mortgage. Indeed, good mortgages are easily picked apart entering the new year, but by all indicators, it appears as though the situation is likely to remain the same.