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More Borrowers With Risky Loans Are Falling Behind
Wall Street Journal ^ | 5 December 2006 | RUTH SIMON and JAMES R. HAGERTY

Posted on 12/05/2006 5:33:50 AM PST by shrinkermd

Americans who have stretched themselves financially to buy a home or refinance a mortgage have been falling behind on their loan payments at an unexpectedly rapid pace.

The surge in mortgage delinquencies in the past few months is squeezing lenders and unsettling investors world-wide in the $10 trillion U.S. mortgage market. The pain is most apparent in subprime mortgages, though there are signs it is spreading to other parts of the mortgage market.

Subprime mortgages are loans made to borrowers who are considered to be higher credit risks because of past payment problems, high debt relative to income or other factors. Lenders typically charge them higher interest rates -- as much as four percentage points more than more-credit-worthy borrowers pay -- one reason subprime mortgages are among the most profitable segments of the industry....

...Though delinquency rates on subprime mortgages originated in the past year have soared to the highest levels in a decade, economists don't expect any significant harm to the nation's economy or financial systems. But if late payments and foreclosures continue to rise at a faster-than-expected pace, the pain could extend beyond homeowners and lenders to the investors who buy mortgage-backed securities...

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: debacle; housing; realestate
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fyi
1 posted on 12/05/2006 5:33:53 AM PST by shrinkermd
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To: shrinkermd; Petronski

To paraphrase Shakespear, "Neither a risky borrower nor a risky lender be."


2 posted on 12/05/2006 5:38:12 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: shrinkermd
Let me be the first. "The sky is falling". /s

This is a problem since most of these loans are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and those are backed up by taxpayer dollars.

Where the heck did they get those names? Fannie Mae used to be a brand of candy.

3 posted on 12/05/2006 5:39:34 AM PST by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote.)
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To: raybbr

Opps, thought this was a story about the Chinese owning most of our national debt.


4 posted on 12/05/2006 5:40:40 AM PST by Bushwacker777
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To: shrinkermd

The borrower is slave to the lender. It's in Proverbs.

www.daveramsey.com


5 posted on 12/05/2006 5:42:04 AM PST by Sybeck1 (Southaven Mississippi Freeper)
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To: shrinkermd

Does the article ever reveal percentages, or are we to assume that the world is coming to an end?


6 posted on 12/05/2006 5:52:47 AM PST by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
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To: Sybeck1

The Bible seems tolerant of slavery, so what's the big deal?


7 posted on 12/05/2006 5:53:34 AM PST by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
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To: shrinkermd
Bernanke states D.C. doesn't realize how bad the home lending situation is.

Alan Greenspan states that the real-estate market has bottomed out.

My real-estate taxes just went up because the value apparently jumped 8%.

Ok, who exactly is telling the truth?
8 posted on 12/05/2006 5:56:03 AM PST by mr_hammer (Pro-life, Pro-gun, Pro-military, Pro-borders, Limited Govn't will win in 08!)
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To: Sybeck1

Dave Ramsey deserves high praise. Every day he advises people to live within their means. Most people love to "borrow, borrow, borrow and spend, spend, spend."


9 posted on 12/05/2006 5:56:08 AM PST by ex-Texan (Matthew 7: 1 - 6)
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To: ex-Texan

This is only the beginning. Wait until summer.


10 posted on 12/05/2006 6:04:26 AM PST by Hydroshock ( (Proverbs 22:7). The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.)
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To: shrinkermd

Mortgage companies have no one to blame but themselves. Every day they advertise on TV begging bad debtors to combine all the debts they cant pay so they can go out and ,make more bad debt.


11 posted on 12/05/2006 6:08:11 AM PST by sgtbono2002 (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
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To: shrinkermd
Bad headline. Should be: Risky Borrowers Defaulting on Home Loans. But then, I suppose that wouldn't be news.
12 posted on 12/05/2006 6:14:57 AM PST by elli1
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To: shrinkermd

No need to worry. Obama has just introduced a bill that will forgive all debts to homos, race-pimps, lesbians, anyone who hates America, all leftists, liberals, commies, fascists, all muslims, terrorists, drive-by media jackals, anyone is anti-military, anti-religion, dumbocrats, and assorted ilk.


13 posted on 12/05/2006 6:19:50 AM PST by Doc Savage ("You couldn't tame me, but you taught me.................")
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To: shrinkermd

Watch for the Rats to propose legislation to subsidize lower interest rates, no money down, and bailouts to the numbnuts who earn $50K but bought $300 homes.


14 posted on 12/05/2006 6:36:09 AM PST by finnman69 (cum puella incedit minore medio corpore sub quo manifestu s globus, inflammare animos)
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To: Doc Savage

Could I pretend for a while until my mortrgage is forgiving? I certainly hate parts of America...


15 posted on 12/05/2006 6:40:21 AM PST by LachlanMinnesota
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To: finnman69

"Watch for the Rats to propose legislation to subsidize lower interest rates, no money down, and bailouts to the numbnuts who earn $50K but bought $300 homes."

Better yet watch the RINOs back it and Bush sign it.


16 posted on 12/05/2006 6:49:48 AM PST by sasafras (("Licentiousness destroyes order, and when chaos ensues, the yearning for order will destroy freedom)
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To: ex-Texan

Plus have an emergency fund and 3-5 years of espenses for the family in th eform of Term Life. Wish the US government would use the debt snowball.


17 posted on 12/05/2006 6:54:25 AM PST by RSmithOpt (Liberalism: Highway to Hell)
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To: Hydroshock

What do you see happening by this summer? Lowwer interest rates to help the flattening economy?

All the housing stock country was not sold in the last 5 years and not every lone originated during this time frame was not an ARM, or interest only note. What is the percentage of ARM loans of all loans originated in the last 4-5 years? You cannot tell the extent of any potential problem out there without figuring out this data.

I suspect there will be some problem with 15-20% of the loans made in the last 2-3 years. If 25% of these loans go into default you are only looking at 5% of a small number relative to ALL the housing stock in America. There are many true investors waiting in the wings to snap up these homes. The world of investors do not prescribe to the theory of Casey at iamfacingforclosure.com.

Prices may pull back, but the sky will not fall. The dollar may turn out to be worthless in 20 years, but what will that do to home values? How would you like to pay off your loan with 1922-23 marks?


18 posted on 12/05/2006 7:09:33 AM PST by zek157
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To: mr_hammer

"Alan Greenspan states that the real-estate market has bottomed out.

My real-estate taxes just went up because the value apparently jumped 8%."

Anyone who thiks the assessed value of a home for taxes is in any way the actual value of the property is fooling themselves. Look at Louisiana and the hurricane damage. Local government were taxing vacant lots as though the homes were still there.

Remember, government greed trumps all.


19 posted on 12/05/2006 7:35:24 AM PST by Jim Verdolini
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To: finnman69

"Watch for the Rats to propose legislation to subsidize lower interest rates, no money down, and bailouts to the numbnuts who earn $50K but bought $300 homes."

No, they bought $150K homes but paid $300K for them



20 posted on 12/05/2006 7:36:40 AM PST by Jim Verdolini
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