Lenders

I cannot help but wonder where have all the good lenders gone as of lately:  I am the first Realtor to tell you that tighter regs were warranted and needed to stop the proliferation of bad loans that ran rampant throughout Maine only years ago.  But where are all the good lending programs?  There has to be some type of middle ground between loose irresponsible lending that borders on the line of fraud and programs that are flirting with being so restrictive that the average Mainer cannot fulfill their dream of home ownership.  I am huge believer in the thought that people should save their money, reduce their debt and set achievable goals- I also think that most people who truly want to get ahead in life SHOULD take some form of controlled risk- they SHOULD come outside of their comfort zones a little bit- Real Estate investing is a great way to take that controlled risk.  It can come in the form of a owner occupied multi unit- with a savings and income to back up the responsibility- but it doesn't have to be reserved only for those who have the 80,000 cash to put down as a down payment.  I hope that lenders tighten their belts, open their minds and then start writing checks to those out there who would step up and take acceptable risk with proper knowledge- I think the entire housing market and overall economy would thank them.