Four years after widespread subprime mortgage defaults touched off an international financial crisis, getting a mortgage today is so difficult that two out of three Americans believe access to affordable mortgages is a serious problem, says recent survey by MortgageMatch.com.

The survey also found that understanding the mortgage process and coping with lenders' requirements are the most challenging aspects of getting a mortgage today. In fact, survey respondents ranked it more challenging than getting the mortgage itself or negotiating the sale price on the home. In addition, three out of four recent homebuyers, especially those earning $50,000 a year or more, report getting a mortgage was as, or more, difficult than they expected.

According to the survey, today's lending environment is so confusing that many borrowers are experiencing high levels of stress and frustration, accompanied by the potential for distrust. One in five recent homebuyers said waiting to hear if they were approved for a mortgage was more stressful than waiting to hear if they got a job. One in 10 borrowers report their lender gave them a higher interest rate than what they were originally quoted, and 9.1 percent said their lender asked for seemingly inappropriate information. Almost twice as many female buyers as male buyers said they were asked for inappropriate information.

Adding to the confusion, nearly one-quarter said applying for a mortgage was challenging because documentation requirements from their lender kept changing. One in five said their lender used too much technical jargon, and a similar number said finding a lender that was easy to work with was challenging. Borrowers considered these particular problems more challenging than the amount of time it took to fund a loan or problems they experienced in qualifying due to their credit rating.

In spite of frustrations and confusion, many recent buyers that participated in the MortgageMatch.com survey said they successfully secured loans and bought homes in the past three years. Most were highly qualified buyers, with just over half reporting they had FICO scores exceeding 700. More than two-thirds of the survey respondents that secured a mortgage said they were able to put down less than 20 percent of the purchase price.

"Over the past few years, a lot of buyers have had a hard time not only getting a loan but getting through the process," says Sue Stewart, senior vice president at Houston-based Move Inc., which operates MortgageMatch.com. "This survey is a wakeup call and clearly points to the fact that borrowers want a process that's easy to understand and follow. They don't want surprises and they want to be able to depend on their mortgage lender. For most people, the home buying process isn't about the mortgage—it's about getting a home."

Stewart says the survey found strong evidence that first-time buyers will continue to be an important group in the next 36 months. Three out of five respondents who said they plan to buy a home in the next three years identified themselves as first-time buyers, significantly higher than the current market share of 33 percent.

Also, the survey found that first-time homebuyers are significantly more concerned than other buyers about the problems they face in getting a mortgage today.

Public concern today over mortgage financing also extends to public policy, but support for direct government intervention has softened since the height of the credit crisis, the survey says.

Respondents said President Obama's top priorities to help homeowners in 2011 should be to help those in trouble avoid foreclosure and to keep interest rates low.

Only 13 percent said they believe his top priority to help homeowners should be to make more affordable housing credit available, while 11 percent identified helping first-time homebuyers buy as a top priority.

MortgageMatch.com is an online real estate lender, and Move Inc. also operates Move.com, which provides online information on home purchase and rental listings.