4 States Top UGC Mortgage Index

The housing markets in Colorado, Oregon, and the Carolinas show the highest probability of improvement over the next two years among those of the 50 states, according to a mortgage risk index maintained by United Guaranty Corp., Greensboro, N.C.The top-ranked metropolitan statistical areas in the index, all with a ranking of 1, are: Boulder, Colo.; Erie, Pa.; Lynchburg, Va.; York, Pa.; and Raleigh, N.C. The report is based on UGC's quarterly ACUFactor mortgage risk index, which projects geographic market risk for the top 200 MSAs over the next four to eight quarters, the company said. The index uses a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 representing the least likelihood of further declines in model variables, which include home prices, the local economy, population stability, and mortgage delinquency trends. UGC can be found online at http://www.ugcorp.com.