Many lenders are loosening requirements for prospective home buyers

Will I or won’t I? An essential concern shared by prospective home buyers who need to finance their purchase is whether they will qualify for a mortgage for the amount and terms they require.

Pushback against overly tight credit after the housing crisis, a shrunken proportion of first-time buyers and worry about affordability as home values rose led to some tweaks to guidelines that could ease financing pressures for home buyers this year. Unlike the too-loose standards during the housing bubble, today’s borrowers still need to prove they can handle the loan.