The housing downturn also prompted many homeowners to make paying their credit card accounts on time a priority ahead of other financial obligations, such as their mortgage payments.

NPR: Average Credit Card Debt, Late Payments Fall In 1Q

Mortgage pre-approval was relegated to a low priority function and the quality of the vetting process and the resulting finished product suffered.

FORBES: The Mortgage Pre-Approval Con

As part of that message, a top NAHB priority is to push for reform of the Federal Housing Administration, a government agency that insures mortgage loans for 1.1 million borrowers annually.

FORBES: Magazine Article