http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/mortga ... 0324a1.asp

Lenders import ways to extend mortgages to immigrants

By Holden Lewis • Bankrate.com

Immigrants are increasingly getting the message: "Welcome to America. Now buy a house."

An immigrant with a scant credit history? Solvable. A family who wants to pool money to make a down payment? That's just fine. A borrower who is in the United States illegally? Not an insurmountable problem.

The federal government's policy is to raise the homeownership rate, and the most-efficient way to do that is to concentrate on minorities and immigrants.