The Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) tracks whether lending standards are tightening or loosening, and is benchmarked against 100 for March, 2012. For July, it hit 125.5, up 2.9% from May, and continuing an almost uniformly upward trend since that original benchmark to hit a new high. The MCAI is a composite of four sub-indeces: conventional, jumbo, government, and conforming. Conventional and jumbo saw the most loosening, up 5.2% and 4.7%, respectively. More details and explanation are available at the World Property Journal.
