It was a little easier to get a mortgage in January than the month before, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The MBA’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index rose 2.5% in January to 99.0, with any increase indicating a loosening of mortgage lending standards. Jumbo loans saw the largest increase in available credit with a 5.3% jump from December. Conventional loans also saw looser credit with a 3.8% increase. The MBA says there were expanded conventional loan offerings in January especially for cash-out refinances.