Home Loans to Illegal Immigrants Sturdy But Show Some Cracks

“Despite the downturn of the mortgage market, a type of home loan has remained surprisingly sturdy: one extended to illegal immigrants.

Now, the question is whether these loans will continue to hold up. A number of factors — including a possible government crackdown on illegal workers and a slowdown in job prospects for undocumented laborers — threaten the ability of these borrowers to keep paying. And there are signs of a slowdown as some lenders have raised the interest rates they charge because of the recent mayhem in the credit markets.

Known as ITIN mortgages because applicants must have an individual taxpayer identification number, the fixed-rate loans are designed for immigrants who can prove they are creditworthy and pay taxes even though they don’t have legal permanent residency in the U.S.”*

Stumble it! | |