how to cope in a slowing real estate market . . . lower your credit standards

As demand wanes, there's been an unsurprising but troubling response from banks: They are making it easier to take out a mortgage. According to last week's survey of bank loan officers by the Fed, more than 11 percent lowered their credit standards in the past three months, while fewer than 2 percent tightened. And mortgage-payment performance has begun deteriorating. Though absolute levels are still historically low, late payments are rising.