There was a perceptible change in lender behaviour prior to the credit crisis. Against a backdrop
of a buoyant US economy, very low interest rates, rising house prices, low federal regulation,
excess global capital, heavy global demand for mortgage-backed securities and ease of risk
transfer, lenders (typically banks) sought to satisfy demand by increasing the pool of borrowers
and in turn increase their profits. However, in the main, those borrowers that had sought and
had qualified for a mortgage had already been provided with one. Hence the qualification
guidelines had to change and they were progressively relaxed. Mortgages were provided to
customers whose poor credit histories had prevented them from buying homes in the past.
Lenders considered that while house values were rising – they had risen over 100% between
1997 and 2006 – borrowers were less likely to default on their mortgages as they could release
money from their homes if they ran into debt. This group of borrowers was known collectively
as the subprime market. Subprime borrowers typically had poor credit histories, insufficient
money for a down payment and reduced repayment capacity. As a consequence of the credit
worthiness of the borrowers, subprime loans had a higher risk of default than loans to prime
borrowers. As the lending qualifications became increasingly relaxed borrowers no longer had
to prove their annual income, they just had to state it. Subsequently borrowers did not even
have to notify who their employer was, just provide a positive bank balance. Why were lenders
so relaxed about the risk of default? Well, lenders did not keep the mortgages. They sold the
mortgages to Wall Street investment banks. They simply transferred the risk.
As a consequence of the foreclosure process, lenders suffered losses which led to reduced
financial assets and hence lending capabilities. At the same time interest rates were rising,
making mortgages even more expensive. This exacerbated the situation for existing mortgage
owners seeking a new mortgage whose low interest introductory period was about to finish.
As the rate of foreclosures increased, the ability and willingness of lenders to offer mortgages
in this market decreased, creating a downward spiral of foreclosures.