A trend toward get-rich-quick real estate investment and other forms of high-rate consumer debt is driving supply and demand for loans that allow lower monthly payments in exchange for slower or negative buildup of equity

A trend toward get-rich-quick real estate investment and other forms of high-rate consumer debt is driving supply and demand for loans that allow lower monthly payments in exchange for slower or negative buildup of equity. One out of every four new mortgages now is an interest-only loan--delaying principal payments for three years or more to guarantee a borrower a lower monthly payment, reveals a study by LoanPerformance, a San Francisco-based mortgage loan research firm.

"There's potential for individual disaster here," warns former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

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