Fewer mortgage applications have been filed for the third week in a row, including refinance apps.

So I’m confused.

We were supposed to close on our refinancing on October 31st. That didn’t happen, ostensibly because in the mad final rush to get refinanced before the rates went back up, the underwriting offices were swamped, and our paperwork was delayed.

But… well, you see where I’m going.

Our finances are good and our paperwork is turned in; we’re not the ones hanging up the process. I know that the guy handing this for us wanted to ask for enough on the refi to cover expenses across the board and get us some extra scratch in the process, and that raised the pricetag that the appraisal needed to attach to the house to make sure we could drop our mortgage insurance.

And I’m wondering if the appraisal didn’t quite hit the mark (it certainly should have been close), so they’re trying to figure out how to creatively finance everything so that we get financed, can drop our Mortgage insurance, and they still get their cut.

Because the fact is if all we do is get the appraisal done and can drop the mortgage insurance, I’ll take it — that pays for itself by New Years. The refi and the extra money and not having to make a mortgage payment for December — that would all be nice, but if the refi just gets us fifty bucks off the monthy payments and another year on the mortgage and no dropping of the mortgage insurance — thanks but no thanks.