Mortgage Foreclosures and Older Americans: A Decade after the Great Recession

Economic conditions have improved since the U.S. mortgage market crisis, and home prices have recovered in many areas. Yet many more older families have taken on greater mortgage debt than in the past, and they are increasingly carrying mortgage loans into retirement. Foreclosure rates for all loans have decreased to pre-recession levels for borrowers under age 50, while for borrowers age 50+, foreclosure rates in 2017 were higher than in 2007. This means that many older homeowners may face the loss of their homes, even though the economy has improved.