It’s called “Buy and Bail” — getting a second mortgage-guaranteed loan to purchase a home before strategically defaulting on the very first. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of the nation’s largest lenders, have taken actions to quash the practice, but it is still very common. The only thing some borrowers could possibly be charged with is fraud, because Buy and Bail is not in and of itself an illegal practice.
How Buy and Bail works
Buy and Bail what mortgage brokers are calling certain types of emergency cash loans. A second home is purchased with a second mortgage. Once they are moved and settled in, the family will quit paying the first mortgage. In other words, the first property is the victim of a strategic default. By doing this, homeowners can save money with a less-expensive mortgage before they ruin their credit with the default.
The impact of Buy and Bail
Buy and Bail is an option that, more often than not, borrowers with large financial resources determine to take.
In order to qualify for the second loan, the family has to prove that they have the income and assets to pay both mortgages for the foreseeable future. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require the borrower prove they can pay both mortgages for six months or more. Eventually, though, the first homes of Buy and Bail borrowers are ending up in default. This increases the stock of available homes on the market and deepens the housing crash. Typically, Buy and Bail homes are worth more than $ 417,000, meaning they’re not likely to sell easily.
The legality of Buy and Bail
Buy and Bail seems like a practice that should be illegal — an overnight cash advance for the well-off. The only thing that a borrower could be charged with is lying on an application, if they did lie. If a borrower is entirely truthful throughout the entire loan application process, they can’t be prosecuted for Buy and Bail. The only thing that happens to a borrower who was entirely truthful throughout Buy and Bail is that their credit rating drops for seven years.