Think the mortgage crisis is limited to subprime and Fannie/Freddie lending? Guess again. Nearly 20% of FHA borrowers are delinquent according to the latest data from HUD. The Mortgage Whistleblower has an excellent article on the rising number of delinquencies for FHA mortgages. FHA mortgages ARE insured by the taxpayers and if the program becomes bankrupt, the mess will costs the taxpayers billions and billions of dollars. http://whistleblower.ml-implode.com/?p=22
The author goes to some trouble to point out the problems associated with the down payment assistance programs for FHA as the delinquency rate for FHA mortgages using such programs (which mean the borrower has to pay little, if any, money out of his pocket) is three times that of the regular FHA borrower that has to make a down payment of at least three percent. The typical down payment assistance program (Nehemiah or Ameridream) bumps up the purchase price by three to four percent and the seller cuts back to the borrower a check equivalent to the increase so that he can make the minimum down payment required by FHA guidelines.
Aside from a concern over the federal budget and the markets, why should a reader of this blog care about this problem? Well, Mississippi has funneled millions of dollars to homebuyers through Mississippi Home Corporation for its bond money program. Last year, MHC issued over $300 million in bond money to fund mortgages and down payment assistance programs to homebuyers. http://www.mshomecorp.com/about%20mhc/press%20releases/2007E%20Press%20Release.pdf The typical bond money program gives the homebuyer 3-4% in down payment/closing cost assistance, thus helping the borrower avoid having to put some of their own "skin" in the game. Given that the vast majority of these mortgages are of the FHA variety (and serviced by Trustmark, Regions, Cimmaron Mortgage, and Bancorp South) one must ask what the delinquency rate is for these mortgages and how much will it cost Mississippi taxpayers as well as the shareholders of these banks.
Note: read the charts in the story, especially the ones about the rise in down payment assistance programs.
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