New Mexico Statutes Chapter 58. Financial Institutions and Regulations § 58-21A-2. Findings

A. abusive mortgage lending has become an increasing problem in New Mexico, exacerbating the loss of equity in homes and causing the number of foreclosures to increase in recent years;

B. one of the most common forms of abusive lending is the making of loans that are equity-based, rather than income-based;

C. the financing of points and fees in these loans provides immediate income to the originator and encourages creditors to repeatedly refinance home loans; and

D. while the marketplace appears to operate effectively for conventional mortgages, too many homeowners find themselves victims of overreaching creditors who provide loans with high costs and terms that are unnecessary to secure repayment of the loan.