Key Questions:

1. Who are the leading lenders in Mercer, Illinois?
   1. The leading lenders, by market share, are The National Bank, Countrywide Bank, Fsb and Wells Fargo Bank, Na. Do you have the best rate possible? Find out your credit score or browse
2. How stretched will home owners in Mercer, Illinois be in paying off their mortgage?
   1. Homeowners in Mercer, Illinois borrowed an average of 1.42 times their annual income for their mortgage. This compares to 1.97 for all of the US. Based on the national average, a significantly lower risk that Mercer, Illinois homeowners will default on their mortgage payments in the coming years.
3. How likely are the owners of homes in Mercer, Illinois to actually live in them?
   1. 93.3% of home owners in Mercer, Illinois 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 Mercer, Illinois to the subprime mortgage crisis?
   1. There were significantly more subprime loans taken out by home owners in Mercer, Illinois than the national average in 2008. That is to say, Mercer, Illinois will be more affected by the subprime mortgage crisis in years to come as a greater percentage of all mortgages in Mercer, Illinois - 12.3% versus 4.8% - will reset to higher rates in 2009. This will mean that there will be more foreclosures caused by the reseting of subprime mortgages in Mercer, Illinois than other areas of the US.