Low Down Payment Requirements of FHA Loans Triggers Criticism

Low Down Payment Requirements of FHA Loans Triggers Criticism

Lender · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2012 · 714 posts · 169 votes

With only a 3.5% down payment and a 580 minimum credit score requirement,

many critics believe FHA loans are encouraging another crisis. In the U.K. and in

Germany for example, home ownership is only for those who can afford to bring

in 25-30% down towards the purchase. In other words, home ownership is for

the privileged few. So why in the U.S. is home ownership given to everyone has

nearly a right? Both the Clinton and Bush Administrations pushed heavy

propaganda leading up to the crisis with slogans like, “Every American should be

able to own their own home.” Well, we all know what that propaganda created,

the worst recession since the Great Depression in the U.S.

With the highest default rate in the sub 600 credit score category, some FHA

lenders are pushing this requirement of 580 up to over 600. But with such low

down payment requirements, what would prevent these borrowers from

walking away when times get tough? In my opinion, nothing will prevent them

from walking away if the market crashes again with such low down payment

requirements. What is there to lose?

Posted by Corey Curwick Dutton, Hard Money Lender

0Reply
34 views

2 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Investor · new york, NJ · Member since 2014 · 137 posts · 13 votes
    11y

    America has always encouraged home ownership - America liked to be known as democratic - in school etc - it worked well for the first 150 or so years. After independence, the country was underpopulated and homesteading was prevalent - or else land was just taken from the indians etc. there are many advantages to having skin in the game. Europe has been densely populated and has a hierarchal society of owners and pwasants which is what America stood against - Germany is more elitist capitalist oriented than the US is, despite other measures of "socialism" which might be argued started with Bismark.

  • Investor · new york, NJ · Member since 2014 · 137 posts · 13 votes
    11y

    BTW a bank does not have to make a loan - but packaging mortgages was the most lucrative business - which of course led to the crash - banks did not care to whom they loaned - they made so much money on the tranches, they just needed to keep inventory coming so they could sell it to the stupid well heeled investors - it is mainly the banks that brought the crisis to us, by not having to make a buck - by lowering their criteria and lending to people they clearly should not - but as they had no skin in the game once it was tranched so who cares! DB packaged a lot of this mortgage paper here in the US, BTW, approving people who would clearly never be able to pay - like the "Greeks"

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.