Lending Standards Are Not Like They Were Leading Up to the Crash

Admin
Jun 28, 2023
4 min read

You might be worried we’re heading for a housing crash, but there are many reasons why this housing market isn’t like the one we saw in 2008. One of which is how lending standards are different today. Here’s a look at the data to help prove it.

Every month, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) releases the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI). According to their website:

“The MCAI provides the only standardized quantitative index that is solely focused on mortgage credit. The MCAI is . . . a summary measure which indicates the availability of mortgage credit at a point in time.”

Basically, the index determines how easy it is to get a mortgage. Take a look at the graph below of the MCAI since they started keeping track of this data in 2004. It shows how lending standards have changed over time. It works like this:

When lending standards are less strict, it’s easier to get a mortgage, and the index (the green line in the graph) is higher.
When lending standards are stricter, it’s harder to get a mortgage, and the line representing the index is lower.

In 2004, the index was around 400. But, by 2006, it had gone up to over 850. Today, the story is quite different. Since the crash, the index went down because lending standards got tighter, so today it’s harder to get a mortgage.

Loose Lending Standards Contributed to the Housing Bubble

One of the main factors that contributed to the housing bubble was that lending standards were a lot less strict back then. Realtor.com explains it like this:

“In the early 2000s, it wasn’t exactly hard to snag a home mortgage. . . . plenty of mortgages were doled out to people who lied about their incomes and employment, and couldn’t actually afford homeownership.”

The tall peak in the graph above indicates that leading up to the housing crisis, it was much easier to get credit, and the requirements for getting a loan were far from strict. Back then, credit was widely available, and the threshold for qualifying for a loan was low.

Lenders were approving loans without always going through a verification process to confirm if the borrower would likely be able to repay the loan. That means creditors were lending to more borrowers who had a higher risk of defaulting on their loans.

Today’s Loans Are Much Tougher To Get than Before

As mentioned, lending standards have changed a lot since then. Bankrate describes the difference:

“Today, lenders impose tough standards on borrowers – and those who are getting a mortgage overwhelmingly have excellent credit.”

If you look back at the graph, you’ll notice after the peak around the time of the housing crash, the line representing the index went down dramatically and has stayed low since. In fact, the line is far below where standards were even in 2004 – and it’s getting lower. Joel Kan, VP and Deputy Chief Economist at MBA, provides the most recent update from May:

“Mortgage credit availability decreased for the third consecutive month . . . With the decline in availability, the MCAI is now at its lowest level since January 2013.”

The decreasing index suggests standards are getting much tougher – which makes it clear we’re far away from the extreme lending practices that contributed to the crash.

Bottom Line

Leading up to the housing crash, lending standards were much more relaxed with little evaluation done to measure a borrower’s potential to repay their loan. Today, standards are tighter, and the risk is reduced for both lenders and borrowers. This goes to show, these are two very different housing markets, and this market isn’t like the last time.

Scott Sweeney Realtor - M&M Real Estate Cell: Call/Text 707-330-2324 Office: Call/Text 916-245-3060 Schedule a call or zoom with us here! 👇

About Scott Sweeney Scott Sweeney is a top 5% producing Elk Grove Realtor who services the greater Sacramento & Solano county areas. He has been the top producer for the last 6 consecutive years at M&M Real Estate, and his association has recognized his success and inducted him into the Sacramento Association Of Realtors Masters Club in 2019. Scott has over 15 years working in the real estate industry all of which at M&M Real Estate; a locally owned and operated real estate office in Elk Grove, Ca. Scott has a Bachelor Of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing from CSUS. His education, and extensive background in the hospitality, marketing, and real estate industries, have helped Scott to become one of the leading, and most sought-after agents in the area. Scott puts his clients first and is known for taking an educational approach with his clients so they understand every step and strategy of the home buying and selling process. Reach out to Scott Sweeney & SweeneySells today to take the first step towards your real estate goals! Read Scott's Reviews Here Contact Information: Scott Sweeney Realtor - M&M Real Estate BRE Lic# 01938720