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Are Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Borrowers Borrowing Constrained?

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  • Kathleen W. Johnson
  • Geng Li

Abstract

type="main"> Past research argues that changes in adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) payments may lead households to cut back on consumption. These outcomes are more likely if ARM borrowers are borrowing constrained, and we show in this article that ARM borrowers exhibit attitudes toward borrowing and behavior that are consistent with being borrowing constrained. Although the demographic and financial characteristics of ARM and fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) borrowers are somewhat similar, ARM borrowers differ from FRM borrowers in their uses of credit and attitudes toward it. In addition, we find the consumption growth of households with an ARM is more sensitive to past income than the consumption growth of other households, suggesting the ARM borrowers may be subject to borrowing constraints that hinder their ability to smooth consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathleen W. Johnson & Geng Li, 2014. "Are Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Borrowers Borrowing Constrained?," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 42(2), pages 457-471, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:reesec:v:42:y:2014:i:2:p:457-471
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    Cited by:

    1. Ronel Elul & Sebastian Tilson, 2015. "Owner occupancy fraud and mortgage performance," Working Papers 15-45, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    2. Ghoddusi, Hamed & Afkhami, Mohamad, 2019. "Valuation of mortgage interest deductibility under uncertainty: An option pricing approach," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 102-122.
    3. Min Qi & Harald Scheule & Yan Zhang, 2021. "Positive Payment Shocks, Liquidity and Refinance Constraints and Default Risk of Home Equity Lines of Credit at End of Draw," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 423-454, April.
    4. Cristian Badarinza & John Y. Campbell & Tarun Ramadorai, 2018. "What Calls to ARMs? International Evidence on Interest Rates and the Choice of Adjustable-Rate Mortgages," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(5), pages 2275-2288, May.
    5. Okechukwu D. Anyamele, 2018. "Racial Ethnic differences in Household Loan Delinquency Rate in recent financial crisis: Evidence from 2007 and 2010 Survey of Consumer Finances," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 8(3), pages 1-4.
    6. John Y. Campbell & Tarun Ramadorai & Benjamin Ranish, 2012. "How Do Regulators Influence Mortgage Risk: Evidence from an Emerging Market," NBER Working Papers 18394, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Martin Brown & Benjamin Suman Guin, 2015. "The Exposure of Mortgage Borrowers to Interest Rate Risk and House Price Risk – Evidence from Swiss Loan Application Data," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 151(II), pages 3-37, June.
    8. Dietsch, Michel & Petey, Joël, 2015. "The credit-risk implications of home ownership promotion: The effects of public subsidies and adjustable-rate loans," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 103-120.
    9. John Y. Campbell & Tarun Ramadorai & Benjamin Ranish, 2015. "The Impact of Regulation on Mortgage Risk: Evidence from India," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 71-102, November.
    10. Brown, Martin & Guin, Benjamin, 2015. "The Exposure of Mortgage Borrowers to Interest Rate Risk, Income Risk and House Price Risk – Evidence from Swiss Loan Application Data," Working Papers on Finance 1509, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.

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