Opportunities and Issues in Using HMDA Data

Since 1975, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) has required most mortgage lending institutions to disclose to the public information about the home loans they originate or purchase during a calendar year. In using these data, however, researchers need to be aware of a number of issues and potential problems that characterize HMDA. This article provides a comprehensive enumeration of these issues, focusing on practical problems that can potentially influence choices researchers make in using the data or in interpreting the findings. The article also includes an illustrative example of how the data that is reported in HMDA can be used to gain a better understanding of trends and practices in the home mortgage market.