Bubble Alert! Is it Getting Too Easy to Get a Mortgage?
The Concord CA real estate market is still very active. Reasonable sellers are receiving offers quickly and buyer confidence remains strong. There are multiple price points and types of houses available in Concord, CA.
Particularly around the Dana Estates neighborhood 94519 zip code, homes are in demand. The neighborhood provides convenient access to Highway 4 and to downtown Concord. It is also about equal distance from both the Concord BART station and the North Concord BART station.
Purchasing a home is one of the largest financial decisions that a family can make. Because of the size of the transaction, there are many complicated decisions that surround the purchase of a home.
Today we are going to talk about: Is it Getting Too Easy to Get a Mortgage?
There is little doubt that it is easier to get a home mortgage today than it was last year. The Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), published by the Mortgage Bankers Association, shows that mortgage credit has become more available in each of the last several years. In fact, in just the last year:
- More buyers are putting less than 20% down to purchase a home
- The average credit score on closed mortgages is lower
- More low-down-payment programs have been introduced
This has some people worrying that we are returning to the lax lending standards which led to the boom and bust that real estate experienced ten years ago. Let’s alleviate some of that concern.
The graph below shows the MCAI going back to the boom years of 2004-2005. The higher the graph line, the easier it was to get a mortgage.
As you can see, lending standards were much more lenient from 2004 to 2007. Though it has gradually become easier to get a mortgage since 2011, we are nowhere near the lenient standards during the boom.
The Urban Institute also publishes a Home Credit Availability Index (HCAI). According to the Institute, the HCAI:
“Measures the percentage of home purchase loans that are likely to default—that is, go unpaid for more than 90 days past their due date. A lower HCAI indicates that lenders are unwilling to tolerate defaults and are imposing tighter lending standards, making it harder to get a loan. A higher HCAI indicates … it is easier to get a loan.”
Here is a graph showing their findings:
Again, today’s lending standards are nowhere near the levels of the boom years. As a matter of fact, they are more stringent than they were even before the boom.
Bottom Line
It is getting easier to gain financing for a home purchase. However, we are not seeing the irresponsible lending that caused the housing crisis.
Source… Peter Maclennan KCM Blog
Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and insure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.
To reach us please call 925.385.8798 or email us at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.
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Peter is a real estate broker serving Central Contra Costa County. He and his family live in the Dana Estates Neighborhood.
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