statsman
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You must remember that banks have always looked on mortgages as a necessary evil in their business. The money they lend for a mortgage is tied up for a long period of time. On the other hand, it was always concidered a "safe" loan since if the borrower defaulted, the bank could always sell the house and recover their money.
The banks never thought, what would happen if thousands of people defaulted. The glut in the housing market would greatly reduce the amount they recover.
I feel the main reason that banks got into mortgages in the first place (mortgages used to be the exclusive province of trust companies in Canada) was the variable rate mortgage and the renewable mortgage. You may have loaned the mortgage originally at a low rate, but the borrower had to re-new every five years at a new rate. Banks thought they would clean up. Didn't turn out that way did it.
The banks never thought, what would happen if thousands of people defaulted. The glut in the housing market would greatly reduce the amount they recover.
I feel the main reason that banks got into mortgages in the first place (mortgages used to be the exclusive province of trust companies in Canada) was the variable rate mortgage and the renewable mortgage. You may have loaned the mortgage originally at a low rate, but the borrower had to re-new every five years at a new rate. Banks thought they would clean up. Didn't turn out that way did it.