Interviews with more than 30 lenders, builders, Realtors and consumers suggest that a growing number of Americans are getting back into the housing market, even though they went through a foreclosure, bankruptcy or short sale in recent years. Much of the comeback has been made possible because of help from the U.S. government, namely the Federal Housing Agency. Most of these reentering buyers are using FHA-insured loans, which at the end of 2011 accounted for about 30 percent of loans for home purchases, compared with 4.5 percent in 2005. Borrowers taking FHA-backed loans make a down payment of just 3.5 percent and usually have below average credit scores.
Foreclosed Americans find way back to homeownership
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