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Mortgage Crisis - No Money, No Problem

Posted Apr 4th 2008 5:00PM by Deborah Owens
Filed under: Ways and Means, Money Talks, Business, Mortgage Crisis

I never understood the whole premise of sub-prime loans.

You don't qualify for a conventional loan because of your credit history and or income so let's qualify you for a loan that's less affordable.

Now we know that those blaring commercials that flooded the airwaves at the height of the housing boom were used to purposely lure folks into ill fated loans for a large commission on the transaction.

A recent special report by CNN shows how unscrupulous sales practices are largely responsible for the mortgage mess. Watch "Lies Lenders Tell".



Forclosure Crisis

  • Forclosure Crisis

    People demonstrate outside a HOPE NOW home ownership preservation workshop at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Tuesday, April 1, 2008. Demonstrators hoped to draw attention subprime mortgage crisis. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

    AP

  • Forclosure Crisis

    Joseph Barratt, 55, and others demonstrate outside a HOPE NOW home ownership preservation workshop at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Tuesday, April 1, 2008. Demonstrators hoped to draw attention subprime mortgage crisis. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

    AP

  • Forclosure Crisis

    LAGUNA HILLS, CA - MARCH 28: A foreclosure sign stands in the yard of a house to be sold in an upcoming 11-day foreclosure auction of more than 1500 southern California homes March 28, 2008 in Laguna Hills, California. Cleaning up foreclosed properties is full-time work as home foreclosures are booming in the wake of the sub-prime loan crises, leading to abandoned and run-down properties that suppress neighboring home values and lower property tax revenues. Sub-prime loans make up 14 of total mortgages but account for about 60 of foreclosures. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

  • Forclosure Crisis

    LAGUNA HILLS, CA - MARCH 28: Sebastian Villalba mows grass and weeds to prepare a house to be sold in an upcoming 11-day foreclosure auction of more than 1500 southern California homes March 28, 2008 in Laguna Hills, California. Cleaning up foreclosed properties is full-time work as home foreclosures are booming in the wake of the sub-prime loan crises, leading to abandoned and run-down properties that suppress neighboring home values and lower property tax revenues. Sub-prime loans make up 14 of total mortgages but account for about 60 of foreclosures. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

  • Forclosure Crisis

    LAGUNA HILLS, CA - MARCH 28: An Orange County Sheriff eviction notice hangs on a house to be sold in an upcoming 11-day foreclosure auction of more than 1500 southern California homes March 28, 2008 in Laguna Hills, California. Cleaning up foreclosed properties is full-time work as home foreclosures are booming in the wake of the sub-prime loan crises, leading to abandoned and run-down properties that suppress neighboring home values and lower property tax revenues. Sub-prime loans make up 14 of total mortgages but account for about 60 of foreclosures. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

  • Forclosure Crisis

    LAGUNA HILLS, CA - MARCH 28: Sebastian Villalba mows grass and weeds to prepare a house to be sold in an upcoming 11-day foreclosure auction of more than 1500 southern California homes March 28, 2008 in Laguna Hills, California. Cleaning up foreclosed properties is full-time work as home foreclosures are booming in the wake of the sub-prime loan crises, leading to abandoned and run-down properties that suppress neighboring home values and lower property tax revenues. Sub-prime loans make up 14 of total mortgages but account for about 60 of foreclosures. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

  • Forclosure Crisis

    LAGUNA HILLS, CA - MARCH 28: Sebastian Villalba mows grass and weeds to prepare a house to be sold in an upcoming 11-day foreclosure auction of more than 1500 southern California homes March 28, 2008 in Laguna Hills, California. Cleaning up foreclosed properties is full-time work as home foreclosures are booming in the wake of the sub-prime loan crises, leading to abandoned and run-down properties that suppress neighboring home values and lower property tax revenues. Sub-prime loans make up 14 of total mortgages but account for about 60 of foreclosures. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

  • Forclosure Crisis

    A crowd of protesters hold up anti-war signs Friday March 28, 2008, in Freehold Township, N.J., as one of the presidential helicopters lands near a company where President Bush was visiting to spotlight the administration's efforts to save struggling homeowners from foreclosure. The president plans to stop by a mortgage counseling company that's part of the "Hope Now" alliance. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

    AP

  • Forclosure Crisis

    Bill Suky, right, points out the arriving helicopter of President Bush Friday March 28, 2008, in Freehold Township, N.J., to wife, Dolores Suky, second right, Lucille Cerbini, left and Francine Jordan, second left, as they stand with a gathering of Bush supporters. President Bush was visiting New Jersey to spotlight efforts to save struggling homeowners from foreclosure. The president plans to stop by a mortgage counseling company that's part of the Hope Now alliance. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

    AP

  • Forclosure Crisis

    Diane Beeny holds up an anti-war sign as she stands with a large crowd of protesters Friday March 28, 2008, in Freehold Township, N.J., near a company where President Bush was visiting to spotlight efforts to save struggling homeowners from foreclosure. The president plans to stop by a mortgage counseling company that's part of the Hope Now alliance. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

    AP

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Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. The problem here was it was an industry wide accepted practice to injure a group that was vulnerable. Where were the watchdogs? Instead of wiping out social security, they wiped out the mortgate industry. This is the danger of having a base that consists of just rich people. There is no supervision.

Cecil Jones at 6:32AM on Apr 5th 2008

2. And who was behind this industry? When the housing industry was the ONLY thing keeping us from a recession, whose interest was served by coaxing banks/brokers to do this? Trace it back to the White House! Also, these buyers were not vulnerable. They KNEW what they signed, but they wanted those houses so badly. They led with their hearts & not their heads. or they were flippers. I have dealt with a number of brokers who tried to flimflam me. I caught them at it, reported them if necessary, & called my lawyer who armtwisted. Incidentally, paying a lawyer a few hundred bucks during the process is well worth the investment. And if you can't afford the lawyer, you can't afford the house! So yeah, brokers were not straight, never have been. But mindless folks signed on the dotted lines. Take some responsibility for your half of the equation!

kathy at 9:50AM on Apr 5th 2008

3. Well, seems to me the biggest beneficiaries of the housing bubble were the people who sold their houses at ridiculously inflated prices. But don't expect our dirtball politicos to go after those people.

I agree with Kathy that people were not forced to use subprime mortgages to buy more housing than they could afford, any more than people are forced to use high-interest loans to buy expensive new cars they cannot afford. If you have a modest income you should buy a modest house and buy a used car. Anything else and you are asking for trouble. Don't blame the government for your own folly.

I don't see why some guy who lives in a trailer in Alabama should be taxed to bail out some idiot who bought a house in Santa Monica he couldn't afford and that was ridiculously overpriced in the first place. We need to end this bubble cycle sooner or later.

Bill at 12:23AM on Apr 6th 2008

4. Sometimes people lose things because they are not good with respecting the little people. Being able to own a house is a statists statement. The house crisis is just a sign that God is angry with people that value things over people.

Black and Pride at 3:46AM on Apr 7th 2008

5. Subprime mortgages -- the "Payday Advance" of home loans.

DaveSingsDiamond at 11:38AM on Apr 7th 2008

6. In an earlier time, people actually went to prison for what was then termed "usury" crimes - as in loan sharks, gangsters who wore nice clothes, drove flashy cars, and often charged "outrageous" interest rates, like, say 20% or more.

Hmmm . . . let's see now . . . today we have loan sharks who wear nice clothes, drive flashy cars, but instead of doing deals in a back alley somewhere, they are now doing business out in the open, with big name brand banks pushing their product.

Am I missing something here???

Charles at 3:48PM on Apr 7th 2008

7. Mr. Greenspan knew about this citzen highjacking and nary a word was said until after he retired and wrote a book. HMMMM

lemonella at 12:14AM on Apr 8th 2008

8. U know during the so called boom they sold this dream to people who otherwise couldnt dream of owning a home. I agree those people should take some responsibility. But there is something criminal about a business allowing a mortgage to go threw when the numbers dont add up.

MS T at 3:23PM on Apr 13th 2008

9. One way to jumpstart the mortgage industry is to make your house cheaper to sell by selling it yourself. These days there are tons of free fsbo sites just for this puprpose. A good example of this is http://www.primefsbolistings.com where you can list your house for free through the end of 2008.

Mark at 8:22PM on May 31st 2008

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