State Antipredatory Lending Laws and Neighborhood Foreclosure Rates

Abstract

ABSTRACT:In this study, we examine the impact of state antipredatory lending laws (APLs) on neighborhood foreclosure and delinquency rates using a set of panel data regression models. We find strong evidence that neighborhoods have lower default rates in states with laws that extended federal coverage and/or restricted more mortgage contract terms, in states with broader coverage of subprime loans with high points and fees, and in states with more restrictive regulations on prepayment penalties. A typical APL lowers neighborhood default rates by between 3.8% and 18%, depending on the default risk measure considered. The findings remain consistent when we restrict the analysis to cross-border neighborhoods, suggesting that they are not due solely to unobservable market variation.