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Home Loan: The Role Of Credit

by Jonathan Drake

Over the last few years as housing prices were getting higher and higher, banks became more willing to supply home loans to people, even those with bad credit. The thinking was that the equity in the home would compensate for the risk involved. It looked as if home prices would keep on increasing, so the banks just kept lending money and making their commissions on the loans they had made. As real estate turned more and more lucrative, builders kept on building more and more houses.

Unfortunately, too many homes were built in too short a time, saturating the market. This led to the "mortgage crisis" that continues to impact our economy. Too many houses on the market lowered prices drastically; some homeowners found themselves with a mortgage loan that was larger than the value of their house.

During the boom times, people with bad credit got loans, but those loans usually carried very high rates of interest. At times rates began low, but then they grew higher as the years went on. Since the home loan was more than the house was worth, it was not possible for people to sell, and then, since payments were going up, they often got stuck with homes they couldn't even afford.

People began to default on their loans, and their homes went into foreclosure, where they were taken back by the bank who gave out the mortgage. This led to more and more houses being put on the market, which made prices go lower, which led to a vicious cycle that we are all still feeling the effects of today.

It's getting harder and harder for people with bad credit to get a home loan. In the wake of the mortgage meltdown, lenders have gotten stricter and stricter about who they will lend money to. Even people with good credit are finding it more difficult to get a loan, or to get one with good terms. During the period where home prices were rising, many mortgages were given with little to no money down. This made it easy for people to get a loan who couldn't afford much up front, but those days are now over.

Bad credit will not necessarily prevent approval for a loan, but a much larger down payment is typically required. In this case, it is not uncommon for banks to require twenty five to thirty percent of the home's price as a prerequisite for granting the loan. To get the best loan with the best terms, shop around and compare mortgage lenders.

Over the last few years as housing prices were getting higher and higher, banks became more willing to supply a home loan to people, even those with bad credit. What followed was the "mortgage crisis" that we're still feeling the effects of. Because there were too many houses on the market, prices started to go back down. Sometimes people had a mortgage loan that was more than their house was worth. It is not uncommon for banks to require twenty five to thirty percent of the home's price as a prerequisite. To get the best loan with the best terms, shop around and compare mortgage lenders.

Published December 2nd, 2008

Filed in Loans, Mortgage, Finance, Real Estate