Decay is spreading to the upper floors of America’s mortgage market

“Alt-A” mortgages, offered to borrowers sandwiched between subprime and prime.

This market was trumpeted as a means of extending home ownership to those, such as the self-employed, with a reasonable credit standing but unsteady income. Its practitioners specialised in loans with scant documentation and exotica such as negative-amortisation mortgages, which allow borrowers to pay less than the accrued interest, with the difference added to the loan balance.

That Alt-A has troubles comes as no surprise.

Go no to: Economist.com to read the full article 

Alt-A

An Alt-A mortgage, short for Alternative A-paper, is a type of U.S. mortgage that, for various reasons, is considered riskier than A-paper, or “prime”, and less risky than “subprime,” the riskiest category.

Alt-A interest rates, which are determined by credit risk, therefore tend to be between those of prime and subprime home loans.

Within the U.S. mortgage industry, different mortgage products are generally defined by how they differ from the types of “conforming” or “agency” mortgages, ones guaranteed by the Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Read the rest »