February 26, 2014
The NYT had an article on Bruce Marks, a housing advocate, and his push to extend credit for home buying to moderate income households who are now being excluded because of bad credit ratings. At one point the piece tells readers;
“He [Marks] says low interest rates and housing prices have created a second chance — an opportunity to help lower-income families buy homes, but this time on terms they can afford.”
Actually, house prices are not low. While they have not returned to bubble peaks, they are well above trend levels. This means that people buying into the current market have a substantial risk of losing money on a home. This risk will be especially high if interest rates rise in the years ahead, as is almost universally predicted.
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