Key Questions:

1. Who are the leading lenders in Berkshire, Massachusetts?
   1. The leading lenders, by market share, are Greylock Federal Credit Union, Legacy Banks and Berkshire Bank. Do you have the best rate possible? Find out your credit score or browse
2. How stretched will home owners in Berkshire, Massachusetts be in paying off their mortgage?
   1. Homeowners in Berkshire, Massachusetts borrowed an average of 1.73 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 Berkshire, Massachusetts homeowners will default on their mortgage payments in the coming years.
3. How likely are the owners of homes in Berkshire, Massachusetts to actually live in them?
   1. 86.5% of home owners in Berkshire, Massachusetts 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 Berkshire, Massachusetts to the subprime mortgage crisis?
   1. There were significantly less subprime loans taken out by home owners in Berkshire, Massachusetts than the national average in 2008. That is to say, Berkshire, Massachusetts will be less affected by the subprime mortgage crisis in years to come as a lesser percentage of all mortgages in Berkshire, Massachusetts - 2.3% 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 Berkshire, Massachusetts than other areas of the US.