WASHINGTON — A larger share of banks has made it more difficult for people to obtain home mortgages over the last three months even as demand has grown, the Federal Reserve reported Monday.
The Fed’s new quarterly survey found that about 50 percent of U.S. banks tightened their lending standards on prime mortgages, up from about 45 percent in the survey issued in early February.
Meanwhile, 65 percent of banks said they tightened standards on nontraditional mortgages, such as adjustable-rate loans with multiple payment options. That was up from 50 percent in the Fed’s last survey.
Demand for nearly all types of consumer and business loans continued to weaken over the last three months, with one exception. Demand for prime mortgages registered its first increase since the Fed began to track those loans separately in April 2007.
That uptick in demand comes as mortgage rates dropped, helped by a concerted effort by the Fed to drive down rates to help revive the crippled housing industry.
Rates on 30-year mortgages slid to 4.78 percent last week, trying a record low, according to figures compiled by mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
Some good signs
In other lending, nearly 60 percent of banks said they tightened standards on credit card loans over the last three months, the same proportion as in the previous Fed survey.
There were some spots of improvement in the latest quarterly survey.
About 40 percent of banks said they tightened standards on commercial and industrial loans over the last three months. That was down from around 65 percent in the last survey.
Looking ahead, however, "the vast majority” of banks reported they expected deterioration in credit quality for all types of household and business loans.
More than 70 percent said the quality of their banks loan portfolio was likely to deteriorate this year with nontraditional mortgages and credit cards figuring prominently in that scenario.
That response was to a special question contained in Monday’s survey not asked in the previous one.
by the associated press
The Fed’s new quarterly survey found that about 50 percent of U.S. banks tightened their lending standards on prime mortgages, up from about 45 percent in the survey issued in early February.
Meanwhile, 65 percent of banks said they tightened standards on nontraditional mortgages, such as adjustable-rate loans with multiple payment options. That was up from 50 percent in the Fed’s last survey.
Demand for nearly all types of consumer and business loans continued to weaken over the last three months, with one exception. Demand for prime mortgages registered its first increase since the Fed began to track those loans separately in April 2007.
That uptick in demand comes as mortgage rates dropped, helped by a concerted effort by the Fed to drive down rates to help revive the crippled housing industry.
Rates on 30-year mortgages slid to 4.78 percent last week, trying a record low, according to figures compiled by mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
Some good signs
In other lending, nearly 60 percent of banks said they tightened standards on credit card loans over the last three months, the same proportion as in the previous Fed survey.
There were some spots of improvement in the latest quarterly survey.
About 40 percent of banks said they tightened standards on commercial and industrial loans over the last three months. That was down from around 65 percent in the last survey.
Looking ahead, however, "the vast majority” of banks reported they expected deterioration in credit quality for all types of household and business loans.
More than 70 percent said the quality of their banks loan portfolio was likely to deteriorate this year with nontraditional mortgages and credit cards figuring prominently in that scenario.
That response was to a special question contained in Monday’s survey not asked in the previous one.
by the associated press
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