The mortgage markets have been on a bumpy ride the last five years; are the latest numbers from the Mortgage Bankers Association, though, a positive sign?

Mortgage applications rose 4.8 percent last week to their highest level since May 2010, according to the Mortgage Banker Association’s (MBA) latest Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey. Meanwhile, conventional mortgages hit their highest mark since 2009, refinancing activity remained quite strong and interest rates retained their historic lows.

Do any of those stats, though, point to a more inclusive mortgage marketplace? After all, the vast majority of mortgages (82 percent, in fact) still require credit scores of at least 700, and though a recent survey on lender sentiments tracked a big jump in lender confidence, the mortgage markets remain tricky for many consumers.

Tom Huckabee, an agent with Keller Williams Realty in Conroe, said that though his last interactions with lenders was “painful,” involving numerous demands for paperwork and documentation, the market in Conroe is still doing quite well, so transactions are being completed.

“Things are hopping and bopping here,” Huckabee said. “It is getting a little easier.”

For a fuller look at the MBA’s latest mortgage survey, see our infographic below.