Top 10 markets for borrowers

While lending has been tight in many parts of the country, some markets are definitely more robust than others. Forbes compiled a list of the best cities for borrowers -- ranking by effective mortgage rates (including up-front fees), homes in foreclosure, and mortgages with 90-day delinquencies. Lending is less restricted in areas with fewer borrowers in default, Forbes said. 

"Availability of credit is a big driver of home demand," Steve Berg, managing director in applied analytics for Lender Processing Services, told Forbes. LPS supplied some of the data for the rankings.

"You can want a house really badly, but if you can't get the money to borrow, that's going to be a problem for most people."

The healthiest marekts tended to have rising home prices as well, the magazine said.

Here are Forbes' top 10 metro areas:

1. Kansas City

Average effective home mortgage rate: 4.94 percent

Mortgages 90-plus days delinquent in January 2010: 4 percent

Foreclosures in January 2010: 1.5 percent

2. Houston

Mortgage rate: 5.03 percent

Delinquency rate: 4.4 percent

Share of foreclosures: 1.5 percent

3. Dallas

Mortgage rate: 5.06 percent

Delinquency rate: 4.3 percent

Share of foreclosures: 1.5 percent

4. Virginia Beach, Va.

Mortgage rate: 5.06 percent

Delinquency rate: 3.9 percent

Share of foreclosures: 1.4 percent

5. San Antonio, Texas

Mortgage rate: 5.12 percent

Delinquency rate: 3.9 percent

Share of foreclosures: 1.3 percent

6. Boston

Mortgage rate: 4.78 percent

Delinquency rate: 4.1 percent

Share of foreclosures: 1.9 percent

7. Pittsburgh

Mortgage rate: 5.14 percent

Delinquency rate: 3.5 percent

Share of foreclosures: 1.8 percent

8. Seattle (tie)

Mortgage rate: 5 percent

Delinquency rate: 4.66 percent

Share of foreclosures: 1.43 percent

8. Denver (tie)

Mortgage rate: 5.12 percent

Delinquency rate: 3.5 percent

Share of foreclosures: 2 percent

10. Portland, Ore.

Mortgage rate: 5.03 percent

Delinquency rate: 3.63 percent

Share of foreclosures: 1.86 percent

 

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