FBR: Subprime Defaults Hit 12.4% in May

The default rate on subprime mortgage loans hit 12.4% in May, up 41 basis points from the rate recorded in April, and the foreclosure rate climbed to 5%, according to a Friedman Billings Ramsey report.FBR managing director Michael Youngblood said he expects the subprime default rate to continue to drift upward to 14.45% by April 2008. The default rate on subprime loans stood at 5.7% in May 2006 and the foreclosure rate was 2.73%. The report by the Alexandria, Va.-based investment banking firm also shows that the default rate on alternative-A loans rose to 2.69% in May, up 21 bps from that of the previous month. (The default rate includes loans 90 days or more past due, in foreclosure, and real estate owned.) FBR can be found online at http://www.fbr.com.