Banks Demand Higher Home Down Payments
By: Newsroom Solutions
Updated: February 16, 2011
Down payments to buy homes are ballooning.
The median down payment in nine major cities rose to 22-percent last year.
The "Wall Street Journal" reports the rate on properties bought with conventional mortgages doubled in three years.
Banks have found that the higher down payments discourage delinquencies because buyers are more exposed to a loss.
Peter Norden of the Real Estate Mortgage Network says if the government ever talked about raising down payments to 20-percent, the housing market would be crushed.
That's not happening at the moment.
VA and FHA backed loans for riskier buyers are growing.
Last week the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose to five-point-zero-five-percent.
The median down payment in nine major cities rose to 22-percent last year.
The "Wall Street Journal" reports the rate on properties bought with conventional mortgages doubled in three years.
Banks have found that the higher down payments discourage delinquencies because buyers are more exposed to a loss.
Peter Norden of the Real Estate Mortgage Network says if the government ever talked about raising down payments to 20-percent, the housing market would be crushed.
That's not happening at the moment.
VA and FHA backed loans for riskier buyers are growing.
Last week the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose to five-point-zero-five-percent.
