I wouldn’t be surprised if this is required by regulators or that CountryWide sees the writing on the wall and knows that it better get affirmative about making amends to first time buyers and minorities. Just guessing. When I bought a house in Normal heights in 1992 my mortgage broker got me a discounted rate from BofA. They had made an agreement to offer lower rates in zip codes where they had been proven to have record or redlining.
Anyway, as long as the houses are in areas that have been deeply discounted, I see this as a good thing for first time buyers and minorities. Lots of poor people and first time buyers have stepped on the property ladder quite successfully in busts.They are lucky because they are already used to the neighborhoods that are increasingly selling at deep discounts and have some advantages over investors, the other group that buys properties in marginal areas.
