Key Questions:

1. Who are the leading lenders in Lea, New Mexico?
   1. The leading lenders, by market share, are Charter Bank, Countrywide Bank, Fsb and Pioneer Bank. Do you have the best rate possible? Find out your credit score or browse
2. How stretched will home owners in Lea, New Mexico be in paying off their mortgage?
   1. Homeowners in Lea, New Mexico borrowed an average of 1.34 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 Lea, New Mexico homeowners will default on their mortgage payments in the coming years.
3. How likely are the owners of homes in Lea, New Mexico to actually live in them?
   1. 94.5% of home owners in Lea, New Mexico 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 Lea, New Mexico to the subprime mortgage crisis?
   1. There were significantly more subprime loans taken out by home owners in Lea, New Mexico than the national average in 2008. That is to say, Lea, New Mexico will be more affected by the subprime mortgage crisis in years to come as a greater percentage of all mortgages in Lea, New Mexico - 10.8% 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 Lea, New Mexico than other areas of the US.