I am highly amused by the posts that deal with who is to blame for the tough times our nation is facing.  It's always the "other guy" who was dishonest or unethical.  It's never us.  The problem with this way of thinking is that if everyone blames the other guy, then no one really is at fault.

Here's a great little sanity check to see if you are actually part of the problem:

If you're a real estate agent, did you ever

• Direct a buyer to a lender who you knew bent the rules?
• Demand a kickback from a lender, a title company, or an inspector?
• Exchange funds that didn't show up on the HUD with anyone else in the transaction?

Let's assume you did one of these things.  Are you still dishonest?  Do you still deal with those same people?  If you do, then you're part of the problem.  Stop blaming the "other guy".  You are the other guy.

If you're a lender, did you ever

• Back into the income needed to qualify a borrower for a stated income deal?
• Sell an option ARM to someone and tell them that it was a "great product for the right person"?
• Add a pre-payment penalty to a loan so you could make more money?
• Sweet talk or strong arm an in-house underwriter to get a deal approved?
• Low-ball a Good Faith Estimate?
• Pay a kickback to a real estate agent to get a referral?
• Tell an appraiser you wouldn't use him again if they didn't get the value you needed?

Let's assume you did one of those things.  Do you still lie to your borrowers?  Do you still deal with the same people?  If you do, then stop blaming the "other guy".  You are the other guy.

Listen up, everyone.  We are the problem.  There is no "other guy".  Everyone who blames the "banks" or the "lenders" is failing to admit that the sales force for the lenders is the mortgage broker and the mortgage banker you deal with every day.  If the guy you deal with every day is willing to break the rules "just this one time", then you are part of the problem.

Everyone lender who blames the real estate agents who lie, but still deals with those agents, is part of the problem. 

There are plenty of honest mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers, and real estate agents out there.  There are also many crooks.  If you deal exclusively with the honest people, even though it may cost you a deal now and then, you are the good guy.  If you still deal with dishonest people, then you are the bad guy and you're to blame.  It's a simple choice every one of us gets to make every single day.  Good guy or bad guy?