Key Questions:

1. Who are the leading lenders in Montana?
   1. The leading lenders, by market share, are Countrywide Bank, Fsb, Wells Fargo Bank, Na and First Interstate Bank. Do you have the best rate possible? Find out your credit score or browse
2. How stretched will home owners in Montana be in paying off their mortgage?
   1. Homeowners in Montana borrowed an average of 1.97 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 Montana homeowners will default on their mortgage payments in the coming years.
3. How likely are the owners of homes in Montana to actually live in them?
   1. 89.9% of home owners in Montana 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 Montana to the subprime mortgage crisis?
   1. Subprime loans taken out by home owners in Montana were meaningful more than the national average in 2008. That is to say, Montana will likely be more affected by the subprime mortgage crisis in years to come as a greater percentage of all mortgages in Montana - 5.3% versus 4.8% - will reset to higher rates in 2009. This will likely trigger a higher amount of foreclosures caused by the reseting of subprime mortgages in Montana than other areas of the US.