Subprime lending refers to the extension of credit to higher-risk borrowers, a practice also commonly referred to as “B/C” or “nonconforming” credit. Loans to subprime borrowers serve communities that may have been underserved by other lenders in the past. In recent years, subprime mortgage lending has grown dramatically, with over 90% of all subprime mortgage loans made in or after 1993. By the end of 1996, the total value of outstanding subprime mortgage loans exceeded $350 billion. In 1997 alone, subprime lenders originated over $125 billion in home equity loans. Subprime loans have become a significant and growing part of the home equity market. Subprime originations constituted 11.5% of the total home equity lending market in 1996; by the first half of 1997, they had grown to 15.5% of this market. At the same time, the composition of companies involved in the subprime market is evolving. One of the dramatic changes in this market has been the growth in subprime mortgage lending by large corporations that operate nationwide.
The subprime mortgage market has flourished because such lending has been profitable, demand from borrowers has...