Subprimes Are One Part of the Total Picture

This topic appears almost daily:

But what’s often missed in the current uproar is that while a substantial minority of subprime borrowers are struggling, almost ninety per cent are making their monthly payments and living in the houses they bought. New Yorker

While the West Coast is one of the areas seeing a rise in foreclosures, it also has a strong economy with strong employment.

"Foreclosures are increasing inventories in certain local markets. The projected flood of foreclosures are problematic and will add to the already loose housing supply in some local markets, but these local markets are exhibiting healthy economic activity, enabling them to be able to absorb increases in foreclosures," [National Association of Realtors Economist] Lereah said.

"From a broader perspective, today's subprime problems are occurring against a backdrop of cyclically low mortgage rates and a growing, healthy economy. Jobs and liquidity are plentiful in the marketplace, suggesting that the subprime problems may be a manageable problem within our $10 trillion-plus economy," said Lereah in a commentary distributed to NAR members recently.

Long Beach