[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f4hg9l757c016":3,"$ffeh0925h8cuz":47,"$f2emv3tus0uf1":51,"$fbwk2pqjjqsc7":55},{"item":4,"previous":35,"next":41},{"id":5,"slug":6,"title":7,"description":8,"excerpt":9,"contentType":10,"featuredImage":11,"bannerImage":9,"body":12,"agentsBottomLine":13,"bodyImage":14,"isInfographic":15,"categories":16,"isVideo":15,"videoThumbnail":9,"videoSource":9,"publishedAt":33,"updatedAt":34},1491,"this-is-not-2008-all-over-again-the-mortgage-lending-factor","This is Not 2008 All Over Again: The Mortgage Lending Factor","Some are afraid the real estate market may be looking a lot like it did prior to the housing crash in 2008. One of the factors they’re pointing at is the availability of mortgage money.\r\n\r\n","","blog","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F07163859\u002F20191114-KCM-Share.jpg","Some are afraid the real estate market may be looking a lot like it did prior to the housing crash in 2008. One of the factors they’re pointing at is the availability of mortgage money.\r\n\r\n\u003C!--more-->\r\n\r\nRecent articles about the availability of low-down payment loans and down payment assistance programs are causing concern that we’re returning to the bad habits of a decade ago. Let’s alleviate the fears about the current mortgage market.\r\n\r\nThe \u003Cem>Mortgage Bankers’ Association\u003C\u002Fem> releases an index several times a year titled: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mba.org\u002Fnews-research-and-resources\u002Fresearch-and-economics\u002Fsingle-family-research\u002Fmortgage-credit-availability-index\">The Mortgage Credit Availability Index\u003C\u002Fa> (MCAI). According to their website:\r\n\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cem>“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.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\r\nBasically, the index determines how easy it is to get a mortgage. The higher the index, the more available the mortgage credit.\r\n\r\nHere is a graph of the MCAI dating back to 2004, when the data first became available:\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F20191114-MEM-ENG.jpg\">\u003Cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-41186\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F20191114-MEM-ENG.jpg\" alt=\"This is Not 2008 All Over Again: The Mortgage Lending Factor | Simplifying The Market \" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fa>As we can see, the index stood at about 400 in 2004. Mortgage credit became more available as the housing market heated up, and then the index passed 850 in 2006. When the real estate market crashed, so did the MCAI (to below 100), as mortgage money became almost impossible to secure.\r\n\r\nThankfully, lending standards have eased since. The index, however, is still below 200, which is half of what it was \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>before\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong> things got out of control.\r\n\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>Bottom Line\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\r\nIt is easier to get a mortgage today than it was immediately after the market crash, but it is still difficult. The difference in 2006? At that time, it was difficult \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>not to get\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong> a mortgage.","\r\nIt is easier to get a mortgage today than it was immediately after the market crash, but it is still difficult. The difference in 2006? At that time, it was difficult \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>not to get\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong> a mortgage.","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F20191114-MEM-ENG.jpg",false,[17,21,25,29],{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},5,"For Buyers","buyers",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},6,"For Sellers","sellers",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},11,"First-Time Buyers","first-time-buyers",{"id":30,"name":31,"slug":32},38,"Move-Up","move-up","2019-11-14T10:00:21Z","2019-11-14T11:00:21Z",{"id":36,"slug":37,"title":38,"featuredImage":39,"publishedAt":40,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},1490,"buyer-demand-growing-in-every-region","Buyer Demand Growing in Every Region","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F07115038\u002F20191113-KCM-Share.jpg","2019-11-13T10:00:28Z",{"id":42,"slug":43,"title":44,"featuredImage":45,"publishedAt":46,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},1492,"the-cost-of-renting-vs-buying-a-home-infographic-3","The Cost of Renting vs. Buying a Home [INFOGRAPHIC]","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F13132256\u002F20191115-KCM-Share.jpg","2019-11-15T11:00:40Z",{"cover":48,"open":49,"shareSpread":50},"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Cover-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Spread-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Magazine-original.png",{"cover":52,"open":53,"shareSpread":54},"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Sellers-Guide-Cover-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Sellers-Guide-Spread-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Sellers-Guide-Magazine-original.png",[56,60,61,62,66,70,74,75,79,83,84,88,92,96,100,104,108,112,116,120,124,128,132,136,140,144,148,152,156,160],{"id":57,"name":58,"slug":59},1,"Uncategorized","uncategorized",{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},{"id":63,"name":64,"slug":65},7,"Foreclosures","foreclosures",{"id":67,"name":68,"slug":69},8,"Infographics","infographics",{"id":71,"name":72,"slug":73},9,"Home Prices","home-prices",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},{"id":76,"name":77,"slug":78},34,"Senior Market","senior-market",{"id":80,"name":81,"slug":82},35,"Mortgage Rates","mortgage-rates",{"id":30,"name":31,"slug":32},{"id":85,"name":86,"slug":87},41,"For Sale by Owner","for-sale-by-owner",{"id":89,"name":90,"slug":91},42,"Featured","featured",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95},45,"New Construction","new-construction",{"id":97,"name":98,"slug":99},52,"Luxury \u002F Vacation","luxury--vacation",{"id":101,"name":102,"slug":103},53,"Rent vs. Buy","rent-vs-buy",{"id":105,"name":106,"slug":107},80,"Time-sensitive","time-sensitive",{"id":109,"name":110,"slug":111},81,"Outdated","outdated",{"id":113,"name":114,"slug":115},147,"Internal","internal",{"id":117,"name":118,"slug":119},148,"Do Not Autopost","do-not-autopost",{"id":121,"name":122,"slug":123},320,"Inventory","inventory",{"id":125,"name":126,"slug":127},321,"Agent Value","agent-value",{"id":129,"name":130,"slug":131},322,"Affordability","affordability",{"id":133,"name":134,"slug":135},323,"Buying Tips","buying-tips",{"id":137,"name":138,"slug":139},324,"Downsize","downsize",{"id":141,"name":142,"slug":143},325,"Economy","economy",{"id":145,"name":146,"slug":147},326,"Equity","equity",{"id":149,"name":150,"slug":151},327,"Forecasts","forecasts",{"id":153,"name":154,"slug":155},328,"Selling Tips","selling-tips",{"id":157,"name":158,"slug":159},339,"Expired\u002FWithdrawn\u002FCanceled","expiredwithdrawncanceled",{"id":161,"name":162,"slug":163},340,"Price It Right\u002FOverpricing","price-it-rightoverpricing"]