The American Housing Survey and Non-Traditional Mortgage Products
(September 2007, 77 pages)

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The almost daily headlines about turmoil in the subprime mortgage market attest to the importance of having reliable, current information about nontraditional mortgages. The American Housing Survey (AHS) is a biennial record of the physical characteristics, quality, and condition of the nation’s housing stock and of the characteristics of the households in occupied housing units. Separate AHS surveys also provide periodic examinations of the housing stock in 21 major metropolitan areas. In 2006, the Department of Housing and Urban Development commissioned this study to consider changes to the AHS survey questions about mortgage finance with the objective of obtaining more information on nontraditional mortgage products now prevalent in housing finance. This report documents the study's findings and recommendations.