The bill would make it more difficult for lenders to recover losses.

These days, when the going gets tough for lenders, the risk seems most often to be borne by investors, not financial institutions.

Late last month, the company said it would increase financial incentives for lenders who work with borrowers to keep them current.

The challenge for black lenders is all the more serious because of their small size.

But the search for lenders started to look less certain on Thursday.

"We'd like this to serve as an example for other lenders," he adds.

There is more risk for lenders when individuals purchase a home as an investment property.

The last year has been a brutal one for small subprime lenders.

Witness the decision by China's central bank to cut reserve requirements for commercial lenders earlier this week.

That kind of price movement can only be unsettling for lenders.