Key Questions:

1. Who are the leading lenders in Berks, Pennsylvania?
   1. The leading lenders, by market share, are Countrywide Bank, Fsb, Jpmorgan Chase Bank, Na 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 Berks, Pennsylvania be in paying off their mortgage?
   1. Homeowners in Berks, Pennsylvania borrowed an average of 1.78 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 Berks, Pennsylvania homeowners will default on their mortgage payments in the coming years.
3. How likely are the owners of homes in Berks, Pennsylvania to actually live in them?
   1. 92.5% of home owners in Berks, Pennsylvania 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 Berks, Pennsylvania to the subprime mortgage crisis?
   1. Subprime loans taken out by home owners in Berks, Pennsylvania were meaningful more than the national average in 2008. That is to say, Berks, Pennsylvania will likely be more affected by the subprime mortgage crisis in years to come as a greater percentage of all mortgages in Berks, Pennsylvania - 5.6% 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 Berks, Pennsylvania than other areas of the US.