Applications to buy U.S. homes rose 4 percent in the week ending December 9th, according to data released by the Mortgage Bankers Association Wednesday. The contract rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.42 percent last week but is down since reaching a more than a two-decade high of 7.16 percent in late October. MBA’s overall measure of mortgage applications, which includes refinancing, climbed 3.2 percent. The index of refinancing activity also advanced.