A line graph showing the percentage of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and conventional mortgages past due (quarterly frequency) from 1979 through 2001. The percentage for FHA mortgages was 6 percent in early 1979; it rose to 8 percent by early 1985, after easing back under 7 percent, it remained relatively steady until 1999, when it began to climb sharply, exceeding 11 percent in third quarter 2001. The percentage for conventional mortgages was between 2 and 3 percent during 1979; it rose to just above 4 percent by early 1983, and has fluctuated in a narrow range between 2.5 and 4 percent from that point. From a low of about 2.5 percent in late 1999, it has been climbing, but less sharply than FHA mortgages, just exceeding 3 percent by third quarter 2001.