During last night’s president debate Mitt Romney brought up the issue of the ‘Qualified Mortgage’ rule, saying that if we actually had one the housing market might be further along in its recovery. The fact that Romney even knew of its existence is impressive. Of course, it would’ve been nice if the moderator Jim Lehrer explored the QM issue, but it was not to be. As for the president, I would venture that he doesn’t know much about QM and another key rule for mortgage bankers, the ‘Qualified Residential Mortgage’ rule. During the debate Obama did single out "loan officers" for giving mortgages to consumers who weren't qualified. In that sense, the president has evolved. It shows that he’s no longer blaming just loan brokers for the mortgage mess and is recognizing that retail loan officers (at Ameriquest, Household, Associates) were just as guilty. Or is he?
