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Home Loans - Lenders Continue to Offer High-Risk Loans

Home prices in the Untied States continue to soar, and the remarkable run of real estate as the "must have" investment continues. The median price of a new home, which only recently crossed the $200,000 barrier, is now $215,000. The high prices of homes haven't deterred buyers; sales in June reached a record number of units. There is some concern in Washington about the explosive real estate market, and Federal banking regulators issued lending guidelines in May that urged lenders to be more cautious when lending money for home purchases. How have lenders responded to these guidelines?

They have made it even easier to borrow money.

It seems rather odd for lenders to make it easier to lend money after having been warned that they've been lending money too easily, but that's exactly what has happened. Some banks have lowered the minimum credit score necessary to obtain a home loan or increased the percentage of income that may be spent on a mortgage. Others have introduced loans that require no proof of income. Still others have begun offering a wider variety of no-interest loans and dangerous Option ARM loans, which can actually raise the principal of a loan after a buyer makes a payment. Why are lenders easing loan restrictions after being warned that they are too lenient?

The primary reason is competition. The market is red hot right now, and due to the fluctuations in the stock market in the last five years, everyone wants to invest money in real estate. With so many people flocking to borrow money, lenders want to do as much business as possible. They also want to do more business than their competitors. By lowering qualifying standards, lenders can lend more money. It's that simple.

There are several problems with this scenario. Some percentage of buyers will always default on their mortgages. When the standards for obtaining a loan are lowered, that percentage will certainly increase. While foreclosures currently remain low, they combination of lowered standards and rising prices will certainly contribute to an increase. An expected increase in interest rates would make the situation worse.

The effects of these changes in lending can be felt by most anyone. If you are considering buying a home with a mortgage, be careful. Don't automatically assume that you will be comfortable making a $3000 house payment just because the lender tells you that you "qualify" for it. You must still leave within your own means, and the mortgage broker isn't really concerned about that. He or she just wants to sell the loan, and doing so may not be in your best interest.

If you are going to take out a home loan, create a budget and determine how much you can comfortably pay each month. That figure will undoubtedly be less than what your broker is willing to offer. Stick with your own figure, and don't let the fever of the marketplace sway you. After all, you are the one who has to make the payment each month.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to personal bankruptcy, debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity loans.

MORE RESOURCES

Housing Wire

Obama pressures Congress on mortgage refinance program Fox News WASHINGTON – President Obama is rallying support for his plan to expand government assistance to homeowners, pressuring Congress to help lower lending rates for millions of strapped homeowners. Obama, in his radio and Internet address Saturday, ... President Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Just a Bid for VotesYahoo! Contributors Network Obama Unveils Mortgage Refinance EndeavorsMortgageorb Obama to Announce New FHA Mortgage Refinance ProgramGo Banking Rates Housing Wire -MarketWatch -CBS Moneywatch all 1,239 news articles »

MonitorBankRates.com

Mortgage Refinance Rates: 15 Year Refinance Mortgage Rates at 3.29% MonitorBankRates.com Mortgage refinance rates on 30 year conforming home loans are averaging 3.98%, unchanged from yesterday's average 30 year mortgage refinance rate. Mortgage refinance rates today on 15 year home mortgage loans are averaging 3.29%, down from yesterday's ... and more »

Fox News

Obama Proposes Mortgage-Refinance Plan Wall Street Journal By NICK TIMIRAOS President Barack Obama called on Congress during Tuesday's State of the Union address to approve new legislation that would give all homeowners who are current on their mortgages the opportunity to refinance at record low mortgage ... Obama proposes mortgage refinance programPolitico (blog) Will Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Be D.O.A.?U.S. News & World Report Obama proposes new mortgage refinance programHousing Wire Daily Caller all 314 news articles »

International Business Times

FOX 11 News Discussion: State of the Union MyFox Los Angeles And he aimed a pitch at homeowners, announcing a new mortgage refinance program with "historically low interest rates" that "gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3000 a year on their mortgage." He added, "A small fee on the ... Winning Words, But Not a WinnerU.S. News & World Report Obama State of the Union 2012: Mortgage Refinance Changes Face ObstaclesInternational Business Times all 12,250 news articles »

CBS Local

Six Questions on Obama's Mortgage Refinance Proposal Wall Street Journal (blog) By Nick Timiraos President Barack Obama said Tuesday night in his State of the Union address that he would send a plan to Congress to allow all homeowners who are current on their mortgages to refinance. Here's a quick look at the proposal: How is this ... Obama plan could help refinance Bay Area mortgagesSan Francisco Chronicle all 19 news articles »

Anchor Bancorp Wisconsin Inc. Announces Third Quarter Results MarketWatch (press release) Revenues in the quarter ending September 30, 2011, were unfavorably impacted by a $5.1 million impairment charge on the capitalized mortgage servicing rights asset due to lower interest rates and the resultant mortgage refinance activity. and more »

KOMO News

Living large? Get the best rate on your jumbo mortgage refinance NASDAQ If you buy apparel from "big and tall" clothing stores, you're used to paying more and having less to choose from. "Regular guys," on the other hand, benefit from a wider selection of products and more competition between retailers. Mortgage Interest Rates Move Higher: 15 Year Mortgage Interest Rates at 3.34%MonitorBankRates.com all 113 news articles »

AgedLeadStore.com to Add 1100000 Aged Mortgage Refinance Leads Middle East North Africa Financial Network COM, January 26, 2012 ) Baltimore, MD AgedLeadStore.com is increasing its value for its customers by adding 1.1 million aged Mortgage Refinance Leads in February. This is important as many people depend upon their ability to refinance to make progress ...

High Volume Stock Movers: Bank of America, Sprint, Cisco, Annaly, Sirius Feb. 8th Wall St. Cheat Sheet By Derek Hoffman Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC): The US's Home Affordable Refinance Program has increased mortgage refinance applications and strained capacity at Bank of America, leading the bank to ask some customers to wait 60 to 90 days, ...

New HARP Could Help Up to 6.7 Million NASDAQ Other changes to the program were designed to make it easier for homeowners with private mortgage insurance (PMI) to refinance or to obtain a HARP mortgage refinance with a lender other than their current mortgage servicer. In addition, new limits were ... and more »

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