NEW YORK (Reuters) - Homebuyers in much of the United States paid thousands of dollars below asking prices in January, and gained negotiating power for a second straight month, real estate website Zillow.com said on Wednesday.

Zillow's Real Estate Market Reports for January indicated buyers nationwide paid 2.8 percent less, or a median of $5,823 below the listing price, on homes bought in January - up from $5,717, or a 2.7 percent discount for homes bought in December.

For much of 2009, buyer discounts shrank as real estate markets across the country improved. December marked the first time in 11 months that buyers gained back negotiating power.

The data is calculated by comparing the last listing price of individual homes and the final sale price.

More negotiating power for buyers tends to put downward pressure on overall home prices.

There is additional good news for home buyers poised to start shopping in anticipation of spring 2010. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported on Wednesday the 30-year fixed rate has dropped below 5 percent stirring demand.

The industry group's market index, which measures requests for home loans and refinance, rose by a seasonally adjusted 14.6 percent in the week ended February 26 to the highest level since mid-December.

Purchase applications increased 9 percent as the average 30-year mortgage rate fell 0.08 percentage point to 4.95 percent.

Lower U.S. mortgage rates are propping up demand for home loans after purchase applications sank to a nearly 13-year low in the prior week.

The harsh winter may be a factor in depressing sales in January and February.

But, as the signed contract deadline approaches for the First-Time and Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credits, combined with lower interest rates, home sales activity should gain traction in the remaining eight weeks ahead.