Behind the Headlines: April 2007

Article Excerpt

A stream of negative newspaper and other media headlines continue to give new reasons almost weekly why the U.S. economy will slow. The most recent warn of how defaults on subprime mortgages will have a devastating effect on housing markets — and hence on the U.S. economy as a whole. However, the latest statistics indicate that housing markets are instead recovering. The U.S. National Association of Realtors’ index for pending sales of existing homes rose in February at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.7%. This index tracks home sales where contracts have been signed. That’s 8.5% below where it was a year ago, but it’s stronger than consensus expectations. Pending sales had fallen 4.1% in January. Subprime mortgages are loans made to borrowers with poor credit ratings. They often involve adjustable rate mortgages with low or even zero initial interest rates. Monthly payments subsequently jump when the loans reset at higher rates. Defaults and foreclosures of subprime mortgages could cost subprime lenders as much as…