OREANDA-NEWS. The supply of mortgage loans in Mexico has diversified in recent years, underpinned by a more competitive environment, the low level of interest rates, a gradual recovery of the construction sector, and the current housing needs in Mexico, according to a new Fitch Ratings dashboard report. The report also discusses key factors affecting the credit profiles of main participants in the industry.

In Fitch's view, the new structural dynamics in the Mexican mortgage industry has enlarged the product range offered by the entities involved in the industry, including state-owned lenders and private lenders, and it has made them adapt to the new housing needs in the country.

Also, the recent reforms to the mortgage sector, which make it faster and less costly to transfer mortgage loans from one bank to another, will intensify competition among banks and will maintain competitive interest rates that will benefit the mortgage borrowers.

In the case of specialized non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) still face difficulties. There are few specialized attending the residential mortgage segment and these have focused on recovering from the 2008-2009 crisis. The underwriting of individual mortgage loans by active specialized NBFIs has either decreased or ceased due to lack of liquidity; nevertheless, new entities are entering the market, adding this product to their operations. There is also a slight recovery in the volume of underwritten construction loans, which are mainly funded by credit facilities provided by state-owned entities.

The full report 'Mexican Residential Mortgage Loans' is available on Fitch's website at 'www.fitchratings.com'.