I have an employee who in 2007, making 45,000 a year with one bankruptcy on file ... 6 yrs prior...no down payment who qualified to buy a house at 280,000... With 3 mortgages.... 1 for the house, 1 for the down payment ,1 for security, pmi etc....this is what was wrong ... The housing industry went nuts, the wealthy property owners and realtors, made a fortune... The cause of our meltdown ...that's capitalism .... But There is price to pay..... Fannie and Freddie were the scapegoats...jmo