In the late 1980s, declining real estate values led to an increase in nonperforming loans, which forced the shrinkage or failure of many banks. Has a "credit crunch" resulted, as many small business representatives insist? This article offers an overview of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s...

During the 1980s, commercial banks expanded their mortgage lending more rapidly than other financial institutions. This article examines the factors responsible for the variations in commercial banks’ real estate lending, in an attempt to determine whether banks pursued real estate loans in a...