[Intolerant in NJ]

The Community Reinvestment Act lets politicians pressure lenders to lend to people they might not lend to otherwise - and the same politicians are quick to cry "exploitation" when the interest charged to high-risk borrowers reflects that risk...exactly - the very politicians who a few years ago yelling "Red Lining" whenever a bank refused loans to a bunch of poor people (who do tend to live together in given areas) who couldn't repay the loans are now pontificating about the evil lenders who took advantage of all those poor people who can't repay their loans......

[T.L.Sink]

You make an excellent point that has been overlooked. Politicians in various ways have coerced lending institutions to make these loans to people who can’t afford to buy homes - or even maintain them. It’s basic economics that such higher risks entail higher interest rates. Then when the bubble bursts they start the finger-pointing and look for scapegoats.
If they would forget about “bailouts” and let the market correct itself - as it always does when government doesn’t introduce artificial regulations - the problem would be resolved naturally. But the problem is that politicians have to pretend that they “care” and are doing something to help. In the process they make a bad situation worse.