The appraiser's perspective: After the sub-prime meltdownCharlie W. Elliott Jr., MAI, SRASub-prime meltdown
Even though it had been long awaited, most of us probably did
not expect to see the sub-prime meltdown that we have experienced
recently. After all, we have always had borrowers with
less-than-perfect credit, and we have been able to make most of
them loans, albeit at higher-than-normal rates. What actually
happened? What caused it? Did we learn from it? How will this event
affect the future of our mortgage industry?
What actually happened?
Far too many people with questionable credit were extended loans at
high interest rates and with high fees, which they were not in a
position to service financially. Many homes were lost to
foreclosure. Some of the loans were offered with low teaser rates
up front, which escalated to higher rates only a few months after
closing. Credit tightened through higher interest rates at about
the same time, causing many variable rates to escalate even higher.
With the tightening of the credit came a reduction in the number of
people who could refinance their way into another loan. Those who
could not were stuck with no other option than to walk away from
their homes.
What caused it?
There are undoubtedly varying opinions on this subject, depending
upon to whom one talks. There are those who blame the real estate
economy going south, taking many marginal people with it. There are
those who see the sub-prime part of our industry as being run by
predators, charging hefty fees and interest rates to those who can
least afford it. Some question the ethics of many in the sub-prime
business, claiming that they fudge on the qualifications of the
borrower and pressure appraisers to be less than truthful about
property values. In addition to all of these potential causes,
others see the entire mortgage market as having gone through a
wringing out, much like a hangover after a big party. This affected
the entire mortgage market; however, the sub-prime borrowers were
the most vulnerable and yes, they were hit the hardest. As they say
on Fox News, "We report. You decide." Having suggested that you
make the decision, I will throw in an opinion to add flavor to the
stew. While, perhaps, one or more of these potential causes were
the most responsible, it is likely that all of these probable
causes contributed to the downfall of the sub-prime market in one
way or another. The combination of the above factors created a
perfect sub-prime storm, which brought down many homeowners and
lenders.
Did we learn from it?
All of this is sad for those affected and begs the question, "Did
we learn from the experience?" Or better still, "Did we learn
enough to prevent a similar event from happening again in the
future?" I would like to think that we did learn from the
experience, and I am sure that some of us did. Whether all or
enough of us did, I am not so sure. There is a streak of greed in
all of us, and this seems to oftentimes overshadow what might
otherwise be 20/20 vision. Let's take the Enron case, for example.
Do we believe that such a thing will never happen again? I would
like to think that it will not, but the gray hair over my temple
tells me that it just might happen again sometime down the road,
when everyone has forgotten how bad it really was. This is not to
say that the entire sub-prime downfall was caused by unscrupulous
people, as in the case of the Enron downfall, but I am of the
school of thought that much of the problem arose from aggressive
lending practice, if not unethical conduct, on behalf of some.
How will this event affect the future of the mortgage
industry?
Listed below are a few of the changes that I predict we will see,
given all that has happened thus far.
• There will continue to be a sub-prime market; however,
the financial institutions involved in the business will be
different. The highly specialized lenders, such New Century and
Ameriquest Mortgage Company, will be reduced, if not eliminated.
There is simply too much risk. They will be replaced by large
financial institutions, such as our larger banks that will offer
these high-risk products as a small part of their investment
portfolio. This way, the service can be offered and risk can be
managed and spread around in such a way as not to place in jeopardy
the livelihood of the entire company.
• Government regulators will become more aggressive in
addressing the problems associated with high-risk loans, both on
behalf of the consumer and on behalf of the financial institution.
Margins will be smaller—we will see more caps placed on
interest rates as well as closing costs. Credit worthiness will be
monitored closer and fewer high-risk loans will be made.
• Appraisals will be scrutinized more than they were in
the past. They will be reviewed more closely on high-risk loans by
underwriters. More emphasis will be placed upon appraiser
independence than we have experienced in the past. For high-risk
loans, don't be surprised if you see more full appraisals with
interior inspections and more scrutiny on properties that are
located in rural areas.
• Mortgage brokers will also be affected more than they
were in the past. There will be stricter policies on the source
documents on which loan appraisals are made—credit reports,
employment verifications, appraisals, financial statements and the
like. The ordering of appraisals and the selection of appraisers
will be an issue. Right now, as well as in the past, mortgage
brokers have not been regulated very much, as far as who selects
the appraiser. Expect to see some change here. Some banks will
order their own appraisals, some will insist that the brokers order
the appraisal from certain management companies and there will be
more reviews of appraisals submitted by brokers to the banks
funding the loans.
In conclusion, the sub-prime market will be very different in
the future. It will be regulated more, profit margins will be
smaller and there will be fewer loans. It will be harder to get
questionable applicants approved, and the big banks will take over
more of the process. Brokers will find themselves more regulated,
and many potential sub-prime loans will be harder, if not
impossible, to make.
Perhaps it may just be a good time to focus more on the quality
borrower. That does not mean that there will not be a place for the
high-risk loan, but if the process is going to be blended into the
business of the larger banks, does it not make sense for the
originator to spread his risk in a similar way by serving a broader
cross section of clients?
Charlie W. Elliott Jr., MAI, SRA, is president of Elliott
& Company Appraisers, a national appraisal company. He can be
reached at (800) 854-5889,
[email protected] or
through the company's Web site at www.appraisalsanywhere.com.
Previous columns he has written for The Mortgage Press can
be seen on the Elliott & Company Appraisers Web site.
