Key Questions:

1. Who are the leading lenders in Santa Cruz, California?
   1. The leading lenders, by market share, are Jpmorgan Chase Bank, Na, Wells Fargo Bank, Na and Countrywide Bank, Fsb. Do you have the best rate possible? Find out your credit score or browse
2. How stretched will home owners in Santa Cruz, California be in paying off their mortgage?
   1. Homeowners in Santa Cruz, California borrowed an average of 2.40 times their annual income for their mortgage. This compares to 1.97 for all of the US. Based on the national average, there will be a normal risk that Santa Cruz, California homeowners will default on their mortgage payments in the coming years.
3. How likely are the owners of homes in Santa Cruz, California to actually live in them?
   1. 82.8% of home owners in Santa Cruz, California that applied for a mortgage in 2008 live in their homes versus owning them as an investment property. This compares to the national average of 90.0%.
4. How at risk is Santa Cruz, California to the subprime mortgage crisis?
   1. There were significantly less subprime loans taken out by home owners in Santa Cruz, California than the national average in 2008. That is to say, Santa Cruz, California will be less affected by the subprime mortgage crisis in years to come as a lesser percentage of all mortgages in Santa Cruz, California - 2.1% versus 4.8% - will reset to higher rates in 2009. This will mean that there will be less foreclosures caused by the reseting of subprime mortgages in Santa Cruz, California than other areas of the US.