Meanwhile, for those 75 and older, the percentage with a mortgage or other housing loan was 24%, up from 7% in 1992.

WSJ: Retirement Is No Holiday From Debt

True, spending on new houses fell sharply again in July, but mortgage rates have been cut by the government's Housing Loan Corporation, and the government is considering reducing real-estate taxes and relaxing regulatory measures such as limits on the height of houses.

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Easy loan money fuels tuition increases just as the easy availability of mortgage money boosts housing prices.

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Lenders thought they could make money on a loan even if the consumer could not pay back that loan, either by banking on rising housing prices or by off-loading the mortgage into the secondary market.

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The housing affordability index (HAI) measures whether a family earning a median income could qualify for a mortgage loan on a median-priced, single-family home.

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