U.S. credit union motivation for involvement in the first-mortgage market

U.S. credit union involvement in first-mortgage lending has grown rapidly since extended lending powers were granted through several regulatory changes from 1977 to 1984. The purpose of this study is to examine credit unions that initiated first-mortgage lending programs during the period 1983 through 1988, and attempt to identify factors or variables that influenced the decision to become active in the first-mortgage market. The results indicate that there are certain factors that distinguish credit unions that become involved in first-mortgage lending from those that do not. Specifically, the size of a credit union, a full-service orientation, and a residential type of membership bond were factors consistently significant in their relationship to first-mortgage initiation.