IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbfina/v33y2009i4p681-693.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What motivates a subprime borrower to default?

Author

Listed:
  • Daglish, Toby

Abstract

This paper uses a real options approach to analyse the exercise of the default option embedded in mortgages. In particular, it examines a subprime household who borrows at a premium, but hopes to refinance at prime rates if their house appreciates. We show how these optimal default decisions can be used to calculate probabilities of default - an important input for risk management and pricing purposes. Numerical examples are provided, calibrated to US data. In a low interest rate environment, the credit-upgrade potential may discourage subprime borrowers from defaulting. However, default probabilities are highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and house prices. This provides a rational explanation for the prevalence of adjustable rate mortgages among subprime borrowers, and the subsequent large numbers of defaults, when interest rates rose and house prices declined.

Suggested Citation

  • Daglish, Toby, 2009. "What motivates a subprime borrower to default?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 681-693, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:33:y:2009:i:4:p:681-693
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378-4266(08)00280-X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kau, James B, et al, 1992. "A Generalized Valuation Model for Fixed-Rate Residential Mortgages," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 24(3), pages 279-299, August.
    2. Chan, K C, et al, 1992. "An Empirical Comparison of Alternative Models of the Short-Term Interest Rate," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(3), pages 1209-1227, July.
    3. Yongheng Deng & John M. Quigley & Robert Van Order, 2000. "Mortgage Terminations, Heterogeneity and the Exercise of Mortgage Options," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 68(2), pages 275-308, March.
    4. Calhoun, Charles A & Deng, Yongheng, 2002. "A Dynamic Analysis of Fixed- and Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Terminations," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 24(1-2), pages 9-33, Jan.-Marc.
    5. Anthony Pennington-Cross & Souphala Chomsisengphet, 2007. "Subprime Refinancing: Equity Extraction and Mortgage Termination," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 35(2), pages 233-263, June.
    6. Caplin, Andrew & Freeman, Charles & Tracy, Joseph, 1997. "Collateral Damage: Refinancing Constraints and Regional Recessions," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 29(4), pages 496-516, November.
    7. Paul Bennett & Richard Peach & Stavros Peristiani, 2000. "Implied Mortgage Refinancing Thresholds," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 28(3), pages 405-434.
    8. Kau, James B & Keenan, Donald C & Muller, Walter J, III & Epperson, James F, 1993. "Option Theory and Floating-Rate Securities with a Comparison of Adjustable- and Fixed-Rate Mortgages," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66(4), pages 595-618, October.
    9. Kau James B. & Keenan Donald C. & Kim Taewon, 1994. "Default Probabilities for Mortgages," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 278-296, May.
    10. Stanton, Richard, 1995. "Rational Prepayment and the Valuation Mortgage-Backed Securities," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 8(3), pages 677-708.
    11. Paul Bennett & Gordon Monsen & Richard Peach & Stavros Peristiani & Jonathan Raiff, 1997. "Credit, equity, and mortgage refinancings," Economic Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, vol. 3(Jul), pages 83-99.
    12. Kau, James B. & Keenan, Donald C. & Muller, Walter III & Epperson, James F., 1987. "The valuation and securitization of commercial and multifamily mortgages," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 525-546, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Xie, Yan Alice & Liu, Sheen & Wu, Chunchi & Anderson, Bing, 2009. "The effects of default and call risk on bond duration," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1700-1708, September.
    2. Tajik, Mohammad & Aliakbari, Saeideh & Ghalia, Thaana & Kaffash, Sepideh, 2015. "House prices and credit risk: Evidence from the United States," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 123-135.
    3. Alessandra Canepa & Fawaz Khaled, 2018. "Housing, Housing Finance and Credit Risk," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-23, May.
    4. Ebrahim, M. Shahid & Shackleton, Mark B. & Wojakowski, Rafal M., 2011. "Participating mortgages and the efficiency of financial intermediation," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 3042-3054, November.
    5. McCollum, Meagan N. & Lee, Hong & Pace, R. Kelley, 2015. "Deleveraging and mortgage curtailment," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 60-75.
    6. Hao Meng & Hai-Chuan Xu & Wei-Xing Zhou & Didier Sornette, 2017. "Symmetric thermal optimal path and time-dependent lead-lag relationship: novel statistical tests and application to UK and US real-estate and monetary policies," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(6), pages 959-977, June.
    7. Bhardwaj, Geetesh & Sengupta, Rajdeep, 2012. "Subprime mortgage design," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1503-1519.
    8. Elona Dushku & Antje Hildebrandt & Erjona Suljoti, 2019. "The impact of housing markets on banks’ risk-taking behavior: evidence from CESEE," Focus on European Economic Integration, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue Q3/19, pages 55-75.
    9. Tsaubin Chen & Chiang Ku Fan, 2019. "Non-performing Loans and Housing Prices in Taiwan," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 9(6), pages 1-4.
    10. Poitras, Geoffrey & Zanotti, Giovanna, 2016. "Mortgage contract design and systemic risk immunization," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 320-331.
    11. Yaseen Ghulam & Sophie Hill, 2017. "Distinguishing between Good and Bad Subprime Auto Loans Borrowers: The Role of Demographic, Region and Loan Characteristics," Review of Economics & Finance, Better Advances Press, Canada, vol. 10, pages 49-62, November.
    12. Jingbin Wang & Beibei Xia & Huiling Qiao, 2022. "Time‐varying impact of housing price fluctuations on banking financial risk," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(2), pages 457-467, March.
    13. Pan, Huiran & Wang, Chun, 2013. "House prices, bank instability, and economic growth: Evidence from the threshold model," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1720-1732.
    14. Efthymios Pavlidis & Ivan Paya & Alexandros Skouralis, 2021. "House prices, (un)affordability and systemic risk," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(1), pages 105-123, January.
    15. Kusum Mundra, 2020. "Immigrant and Minority Homeownership Experience: Evidence from the 2009 American Housing Survey," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 46(1), pages 53-81, January.
    16. Mundra, Kusum, 2013. "Minority and Immigrant Homeownership Experience: Evidence from the 2009 American Housing Survey," IZA Discussion Papers 7131, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Antonio Miguel Martins & Ana Paula Serra & Francisco Vitorino Martins & Simon Stevenson, 2019. "Residential Property Loans and Bank Performance during Property Price Booms: Evidence from Europe," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 20(1), pages 247-295, May.
    18. Youngkyung Ok & Jungmu Kim & Yuen Jung Park, 2019. "The Effect of Housing Prices on Bank Performance in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-14, November.
    19. Yaseen Ghulam & Kamini Dhruva & Sana Naseem & Sophie Hill, 2018. "The Interaction of Borrower and Loan Characteristics in Predicting Risks of Subprime Automobile Loans," Risks, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-21, September.
    20. Grant, Charles, 2010. "Evidence on the insurance effect of bankruptcy exemptions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(9), pages 2247-2254, September.
    21. Mundra, Kusum & Uwaifo Oyelere, Ruth, 2013. "Determinants of Immigrant Homeownership: Examining their Changing Role during the Great Recession and Beyond," IZA Discussion Papers 7468, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    22. Moscone, Francesco & Tosetti, Elisa & Canepa, Alessandra, 2014. "Real estate market and financial stability in US metropolitan areas: A dynamic model with spatial effects," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 129-146.
    23. Koetter, Michael & Poghosyan, Tigran, 2010. "Real estate prices and bank stability," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1129-1138, June.
    24. Büyükkarabacak, Berrak & Valev, Neven T., 2010. "The role of household and business credit in banking crises," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1247-1256, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Agarwal, Sumit & Ambrose, Brent W. & Chomsisengphet, Souphala & Liu, Chunlin, 2006. "An empirical analysis of home equity loan and line performance," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 444-469, October.
    2. Khandani, Amir E. & Lo, Andrew W. & Merton, Robert C., 2013. "Systemic risk and the refinancing ratchet effect," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 29-45.
    3. Souphala Chomsisengphet & Anthony Pennington-Cross, 2006. "Subprime refinancing: equity extraction and mortgage termination," Working Papers 2006-023, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    4. Lu Fang, 2020. "Mortgage Pricing Implications of Prepayment: Separating Pecuniary and Non-pecuniary Prepayment," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 239-269, April.
    5. Patel, Nimesh & Daglish, Toby, 2011. "Fixed come hell or high water? Selection and prepayment of fixed rate mortgages outside the US," Working Paper Series 4107, Victoria University of Wellington, The New Zealand Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation.
    6. Lim, Terence & Lo, Andrew W. & Merton, Robert C. & Scholes, Myron S., 2006. "The Derivatives Sourcebook," Foundations and Trends(R) in Finance, now publishers, vol. 1(5–6), pages 365-572, April.
    7. Patel, Nimesh & Daglish, Toby, 2011. "Fixed come hell or high water? Selection and prepayment of fixed rate mortgages outside the US," Working Paper Series 19215, Victoria University of Wellington, The New Zealand Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation.
    8. Jian Chen & Jin Xiang & Tyler T. Yang, 2018. "Re-Default Risk of Modified Mortgages," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 21(1), pages 1-40.
    9. repec:vuw:vuwscr:19215 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Fang, Lu & Munneke, Henry J., 2021. "A spatial analysis of borrowers’ mortgage termination decision – A nonparametric approach," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    11. Bhardwaj, Geetesh & Sengupta, Rajdeep, 2012. "Subprime mortgage design," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1503-1519.
    12. Sumit Agarwal & Yongheng Deng & Jia He, 2020. "Time Preferences, Mortgage Choice and Mortgage Default," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 23(2), pages 151-187.
    13. Yerkin Kitapbayev & Scott Robertson, 2020. "Mortgage Contracts and Underwater Default," Papers 2005.03554, arXiv.org, revised May 2022.
    14. Foote, Christopher L. & Gerardi, Kristopher & Willen, Paul S., 2008. "Negative equity and foreclosure: Theory and evidence," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 234-245, September.
    15. Chao Tian & Roberto Quercia & Sarah Riley, 2016. "Unemployment as an Adverse Trigger Event for Mortgage Default," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 28-49, January.
    16. Sumit Agarwal & Yongheng Deng & Jia He, 2020. "Time Preferences, Mortgage Choice and Mortgage Default," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 23(2), pages 777-813.
    17. Antje Berndt & Burton Hollifield & Patrik Sandås, 2021. "What Broker Charges Reveal About Subprime Mortgage Credit Risk," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 280-326, August.
    18. Sumit Agarwal & John C. Driscoll & David I. Laibson, 2013. "Optimal Mortgage Refinancing: A Closed‐Form Solution," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 45(4), pages 591-622, June.
    19. Lin, Che-Chun & Yang, Tyler T., 2005. "Curtailment as a mortgage performance indicator," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 294-314, September.
    20. Bilgi Yilmaz & A. Sevtap Selcuk-Kestel, 2019. "Computation of Hedging Coefficients for Mortgage Default and Prepayment Options: Malliavin Calculus Approach," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 673-697, November.
    21. Deng, Yongheng & Gu, Quanlin & He, Jia, 2021. "Reinforcement learning and mortgage partial prepayment behavior," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mortgages Real options Default risk;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:33:y:2009:i:4:p:681-693. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbf .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.