Content about Subprime mortgage crisis

A May 16 report from the Mortgage Bankers Association added another bright note to the housing market, with the percentage of U.S. homeowners behind on their mortgages falling to the lowest level since 2008. The delinquency rate for residential mortgage loans decreased 7.4% during the first quarter of 2012.

Foreclosures are not improving at the same rate, however. The percentage of loans in the foreclosure process as of March 31, 2012 was 4.4%, relatively unchanged from the previous quarter and down one basis point from 4.5% a year ago.

By late 2008, Mike Petro had seen enough. It was, for many, the height of the financial mess in this country, marked by bank failures, mortgage crisis, and bailouts; in his view, the financial structure of the United States was teetering on the brink.

“Middle-class workers were taking out home equity loans to pay bills because they were maxed out on their credit cards; their 401(k) plans were shrinking,” Petro said.

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) applauded Congress for reinstating the higher conforming loan limits for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) through 2013, helping reduce uncertainty for an already fragile housing market. 

By increasing the loan limits guaranteed by FHA to $729,750, Congress has taken a step to stabilize home values while enabling creditworthy consumers to get home loans with the best mortgage rates, lowest fees and better down payment requirements, the NLBMDA said.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that existing-home sales declined in July compared with June, but have improved compared with a year ago.

Total existing-home sales, which are based on transaction closings of single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, fell from a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.84 million in June to 4.67 million in July, a decrease of 3.5%. However, existing-home sales for July 2011 were 21.0% above the 3.86 million-unit pace in July 2010.

An analysis published by the Wall Street Journal showed that the nation’s 10 largest mortgage lenders denied 26.8% of loan applications in 2010, an increase from 23.5% in 2009. 

On Washington, responsibility and the budget


“As the leader of the largest building materials and construction services company in the West, we operate one of the hardest-hit markets, and one that has yet to see the benefits of the ‘economic recovery.’ With the housing market still struggling, our industry has mirrored the larger problems facing the U.S.: threats from global competitors, underinvestment in technology, etc. 


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