Dive Brief:

• The Mortgage Bankers Association reports that its index of credit availability shows borrowing was slightly easier in May than in April.
• The index rose from 113.8 to 115.1 in that period, which indicates it was easier to get a loan.
• There were more jumbo loans available in May, and some lenders lowered the credit score they required for FHA loans, the association said.

Dive Insight:

The MBA uses March 2012 as the baseline for the index, calling that 100. The group says its index is the only standardized measure indexing mortgage credit. The index covers back through most of 2011. The organization also has data from 2004 through 2010, though it was collected quarterly and extrapolated.