Key Questions:

1. Who are the leading lenders in Chester, South Carolina?
   1. The leading lenders, by market share, are First Citizens, Countrywide Bank, Fsb and 1St Choice Mortgage/Equity Cor. Do you have the best rate possible? Find out your credit score or browse
2. How stretched will home owners in Chester, South Carolina be in paying off their mortgage?
   1. Homeowners in Chester, South Carolina 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 Chester, South Carolina homeowners will default on their mortgage payments in the coming years.
3. How likely are the owners of homes in Chester, South Carolina to actually live in them?
   1. 93.4% of home owners in Chester, South Carolina 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 Chester, South Carolina to the subprime mortgage crisis?
   1. There were significantly more subprime loans taken out by home owners in Chester, South Carolina than the national average in 2008. That is to say, Chester, South Carolina will be more affected by the subprime mortgage crisis in years to come as a greater percentage of all mortgages in Chester, South Carolina - 9.2% 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 Chester, South Carolina than other areas of the US.