Mortgage

Flint water crisis now impacts mortgage lending

Lenders must prove homes have safe water

The severity of the Flint, Michigan, water crisis continues to plague residents, who now have to deal with the possibility that buyers won’t be able to secure home loans in the area, an article in The Wall Street Journal by Joe Light said. 

From the article:

As a condition for making a mortgage against a property, lenders often require that a home meet certain minimum standards of livability, including potable water. Government agencies, which back most U.S. home loans, also have such requirements.

"As we learn more and as this situation evolves, we will work with lenders to determine what policy changes, if any, may be warranted," Fannie Mae said in a statement. "We feel for the community impacted by the unfolding issues related to Flint, Michigan-area water quality."

"This isn't a question of the lenders arbitrarily choosing not to do loans in Flint," said David Stevens, president of the Mortgage Bankers Association, a trade group. "It's a question of whether lenders are allowed to originate those loans based on government requirements."

If you’re behind on the Flint water crisis at all, here is a break down from CNN by Elliott McLaughlin on the five things to know about Flint’s water crisis. 

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