Preparing for the return of the jumbo lending market and the days when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are no longer mortgage finance behemoths, Rancho Financial is bringing to market loans often blamed for the destruction of the nation’s housing economy.
“In the late 1990s and 2000s, no one was regulating anything and you had these loans that were made and sold on Wall Street, and they became known as ‘liar loans,'” says Rancho mortgage banker Craig Brock.”We’re staying clear of that. If someone has several hundred thousand in assets, chances are they do have the money. We’re trying to target smart people who have financial advisers, who have certified public accountants.”
But the concern that this product will again be abused permeates the mortgage-lending arena. “Yes, they can be abused, but that doesn’t mean the potential for abuse mean they should be taken out of the market place for everyone. That doesn’t seem to be an appropriate response,” says Rich Andreano, a partner at the Washington, D.C., law firm Ballard Spahr.
