Today's Mortgage Rates

Efforts by major banks and Wall Street firms to unload bad U.S. housing loans are speeding up a shakeout in the subprime mortgage industry.

As more Americans fall behind on mortgage payments, Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER), J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), HSBC Holdings PLC (NYSE: HBC) and others are trying to force mortgage originators to buy back the same high-risk, high-return loans that the big banks eagerly bought in 2005 and 2006.

Merrill demanded in December that ResMae Mortgage Corp. — which in 2006 sold it $3.5 billion in subprime mortgage loans, or loans to borrowers with poor credit records — buy back $308 million of loans whose borrowers had defaulted. In a filing this week for bankruptcy law protection, ResMae said those demands “crippled” its operations. The Brea, Calif., company said that repurchase requests were “severe and unexpected.”

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Financing a home after a bankruptcy doesn’t have to be an ordeal. When you find the right lender, you can secure reasonable rates on your mortgage loan. You can improve your loan application with time and some cash leverage. Depending on your financial situation, it is possible to get conventional rates with a bankruptcy on your credit file.

Lenders Who Deal With Past Bankruptcies

With a recent bankruptcy, you can turn to sub prime lenders to obtain financing for your home. As soon as your bankruptcy has been finalized by the court, you can apply for a home loan. Your rates, however, will be about 12% higher than conventional rates unless you have significant cash assets.

After two years, conventional lenders will consider your loan application. Even though your bankruptcy will remain on your file for several years, lenders will be more interested in your current payment history and debt-to-income ratio.

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