Submitted by CARPE DIEM

Here’s a follow-up graph to the one in the post below, this one is through 2007-Q3 for “foreclosures started,” from the Mortgage Bankers Association(MBA). What is pretty obvious is that subprime mortgages in general are not the problem, but subprime ARMs that are the real problem. Subprime fixed foreclosures in 2007-Q3 were actually below the last peak in 2003-Q4, and still aren’t much higher than FHA foreclosures. Foreclosures on prime fixed-rate mortgages haven’t moved much at all in the last 5 years.

Fortunately, subprime ARMs make up only 7% of the total mortgage loans outstanding according to the MBA, or about one out of every 14 loans, and of those subprime ARM loans outstanding, about 1 out 20 were in foreclosure in 2007-Q3, or about 1/3 of 1% of all mortgages.

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