Mortgage Markets

          Mortgage markets are markets in which mortgage loans, backed by real property in the form of buildings and houses, are originated and sometimes trade. Mortgage loans are usually long-term loans backed by real property and typically are repaid in monthly installments of interest and a partial repayment of the loss amount that was borrowed. If a mortgage loan is not repaid by the borrower, the lender can seize and sell the pledged real property under foreclosure laws. While in continues to be difficult to buy and sell individual home mortgage in a secondary markets, standardized high-quality mortgage have been "pooled" together in recent years into mortgage-backed securities that have active secondary markets. Home mortgage loans to individuals are made available primarily through depository institutions and mortgage companies.