【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析]
Falling mortgage rates are sparking a miniboom in refinancings among homeowners eager to save money—but that won't be enough to cure an ailing economy. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac says 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.5% this week, a record low, while 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.32%, the lowest in nine months and near a record low. While interest rates have been going down for three years, home sales have remained weak because of the depressed economy. But refinance applications were up 30% for the week ended Aug. 5, putting them at their highest level of the year, the Mortgage Bankers Association says. That refinancing will free up cash for some homeowners. The low rates are also likely to spur at least some home sales. (6) But they'll do little more than "soften the coming hit" to home sales expected from the stock market's recent drops and weaker consumer confidence, says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.