Jeopardizing Hispanic Homeownership Predatory Practices in the Homebuying Market
For many American families, homeownership is the most important vehicle for building wealth. This is especially true for Latinos, whose wealth levels lag behind those of non-Hispanic Whites by more than ten to one, which is largely attributable to differences in homeownership and home equity. This issue brief examines the home mortgage market as it serves, or does not serve, Latino consumers. Where deficiencies in the market exist, the environment is ripe for predatory lending–a collection of unethical lending products and practices that erode the hard-earned equity gains achieved by homeownership.