We analyzed the top 50 U.S. metros to determine which homebuyers may be most vulnerable to stricter lending standards in the age of COVID-19. Americans in low-income areas are getting squeezed by higher credit-score and down-payment requirements, but more affluent house hunters are also feeling the pain of new lending restrictions.
As the coronavirus pandemic sends shockwaves through the U.S. economy, banks are fighting financial uncertainty with tightened mortgage lending standards, making it harder for house hunters to get their hands on home loans. The Mortgage Credit Availability Index—a gauge of how easy it is to obtain a home loan—