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Stuck in Subprime? Examining the Barriers to Refinancing Mortgage Debt

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  • Lauren Lambie-Hanson
  • Carolina Reid

Abstract

Despite falling interest rates and federal policy intervention, many borrowers who could financially gain from refinancing have not done so. We investigate the rates at which, relative to prime borrowers, subprime borrowers seek and take out refinance loans, conditional on not experiencing mortgage default. We find that starting in 2009, subprime borrowers are about half as likely as prime borrowers to refinance, although they still shop for mortgage credit, indicating their interest in refinancing. This disparity is driven in part by the tightened credit environment postfinancial crisis, and the fact that many subprime borrowers were ineligible for the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). In addition, we find that refinance rates have been significantly lower for black and Hispanic borrowers, even after controlling for borrower credit status. We argue that these barriers to refinancing for subprime borrowers have long-term implications for social stratification and wealth building.

Suggested Citation

  • Lauren Lambie-Hanson & Carolina Reid, 2018. "Stuck in Subprime? Examining the Barriers to Refinancing Mortgage Debt," Housing Policy Debate, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(5), pages 770-796, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:houspd:v:28:y:2018:i:5:p:770-796
    DOI: 10.1080/10511482.2018.1460384
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    Cited by:

    1. Kristopher Gerardi & Paul S. Willen & David Hao Zhang, 2020. "Mortgage Prepayment, Race, and Monetary Policy," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2020-22, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    2. Mallick Hossain & Igor Livshits & Collin Wardius, 2023. "Not Cashing In on Cashing Out: An Analysis of Low Cash-Out Refinance Rates," Working Papers 23-04, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    3. repec:fip:a00001:92867 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Gerardi, Kristopher & Willen, Paul S. & Zhang, David Hao, 2023. "Mortgage prepayment, race, and monetary policy," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(3), pages 498-524.
    5. Kristopher Gerardi & Lauren Lambie-Hanson & Paul S. Willen, 2021. "Racial Differences in Mortgage Refinancing, Distress, and Housing Wealth Accumulation during COVID-19," Current Policy Perspectives 92793, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    6. Erik Hembre & Stephanie Moulton & Matthew Record, 2021. "Low‐Income Homeownership and the Role of State Subsidies: A Comparative Analysis of Mortgage Outcomes," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(1), pages 78-106, January.

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