Would you just walk away from your home and default on the mortgage?
By dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
United States
May 11, 2010 8:47am CST
I watched a segment on 60 Minutes TV show last night about people that are letting the banks foreclose on their houses. Even though they can afford their payments and are not in financial distress, their houses are worth about half what they bought them for and they say that it makes sense financially to default on their loans. They live free in the house until it is foreclosed upon, up to 6 months, saving money for a nice apartment or a rental house. They will work at building their credit back up for a few years then buy another house.
Would you do this? I was raised to honor my obligations no matter what the circumstances. You make a promise and you keep it--the person you are obligated to is not responsible for your troubles or inability to pay or the quality of the merchandise, that was your responsibility. You borrowed the money, you pay it. My sister had to short sale her house and is repaying the bank the difference--they were surprised that she called to make arrangements for that, nobody does that anymore.
The owner of the "walk away" service that helps people do this legally says there is no shame in walking away from your house and defaulting on the mortgage.
What do you think about being able to afford your house but walking away because it's lost so much value? Would it bother you? Would you do it?
2 people like this
6 responses
@babshish (1387)
• India
11 May 10
Hi Dragon54u, yes I totally agree with you on this. No matter whatever are the conditions, if you had taken the loan and given the commitment, you should fulfill the same. One my escape the loan payment and can build up his credit history again, but deep inside there will be a guilt of doing such a thing. And just think if everyone does the same thing to the Banks, then banks will surely go into loss and at one given point of time will be closed, or they will stop paying loans. Then what you will do, when you will not get loan for any emergency or for whatever purpose in future ? Why to just think of ourself, also think about the others as well. Bank does not own any money, it the money of the people only which they rotate and manages. And above all I feel we must repay whatever we own, if not in good financial condition, you can take time, but should not cheat. Sooner or later you will get the fruit of your cheating for sure. Just my views.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
11 May 10
People forget that the bank uses the money of its depositors to finance things so they are stealing from their neighbors. Also, foreclosure makes the value of others' houses go down and the people on the show knew that and said well, it's too bad because they would not hold onto something that wasn't worth what they paid.
I despair sometimes of the moral depravity in this nation.
@babshish (1387)
• India
11 May 10
This is not the case with particular nation, but infact with the whole world, majority of people have lost their morals and have become selfish. We are claming that terrorist are bad because they are damaging the property and life of other people, but such people are also similar to terrorists in my view, because they are damaging indirectly.
1 person likes this
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
13 May 10
I do not agree that there is no shame in walking out on a mortgage that one can afford to pay. When one has lost their job and cannot pay, that is one thing, but I call defaulting on a mortgage one can pay is disgraceful.
There is a different situation going on in San Antonio where the retaining wall built by the developer failed making some of the houses unsafe. The developer plans to fix the wall, but quite a few of the homeowners do not believe they will ever feel safe in their home again.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
13 May 10
Builders often do shoddy work on developments. I used to rent a house in an "upscale" development in Arizona and the walls in those houses were like paper--my son's friend actually fell through one by accident! It's a shame the way they skimp on construction.
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
12 May 10
In the world of today, nice people come last and end up being the losers.
Of course the question remain to be seen why you are losing your house.
Did you over commit yourself?
Are you spending money on partying instead of paying the mortgage?
Are you sick?
Did you lose your job?
All those things are your responsability.
But you are not responsible for the financial crisis.
Nor are you responsible for the bank lending you more money that you could afford to repay, which is the case with what has happened in America.
The banks got greedy and lended money to anyone and everyone without checking people ability to repay the mortgage.
We have seen the same thing from credit card companies for the last two decades. They keep increasing your card limit without doing any checking on your financial situation.
And they only increase that limit for the people who can least afford it.
If you repay your credit card in full every month, they don't increase your limit.
But if you can only afford to make the minimum repayment each month, they give you more money. They love you, because you are paying a huge amount of interests on your debt every month. And the more they give you, the more money they make. Until you cannot make the minimum repayment anymore. Then they foreclose on you and take your house. It is quite common these days for people to own $50.000 on credit cards.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
12 May 10
I was speaking of other people walking away, not I. I bought a house below my means so that I could afford the payments whatever happens. I have scrimped and saved so that I have enough to live for five months if my income is cut off. I don't carry a balance on my credit cards--in fact, they pay me to use it!
I was talking of people who can afford the payments but default because the house has lost value. I don't understand how they can do that. Have they no shame? What will they tell their children and how can they now set an example for them to live well by?
I only assign half the blame to the banks. People who borrowed too much knew they couldn't afford it. There are those who were financially naive enough, though, that they were taken advantage of but I believe they are in the minority. The banks would lend to anyone breathing! By the time I bought my house in 2007, though, I felt almost like a criminal by the time they finished checking my financial qualifications! At least they had opened their eyes and were doing business as it should be done, though.
@leeannmarie (95)
• United States
11 May 10
Really , there is no shame in walking away. I have had this done in my family. Do it leagly and it will free you, so much you will not believe it. Sometime, we just have to cut our losses and not look back. Good luck to you and I am pullin for ya.A year from now, it won,t matter. Some one , who I really respect, told me that in the housing market, 90 days is all that counts,.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
11 May 10
If you can afford your payments as the people on the program could I don't agree that walking away should be an option. Thank God I bought a house below my means and I have no trouble making the payments.
In another year do you mean that prices will rebound or the Mayan predictions will come true?
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
11 May 10
Hi, dragon54u. So they can just up and leave their home? Whom pays off of the rest of their mortgage? I am sure that the bank does it. Why won't this be on their credit report? I think that this is not right at all. A person should know just how much they will be paying on a house when they first signed the paperwork on it. If they can't see themselves paying for a house that much in the near future, then they should not accept the offer. We have too many people that are already in the state of losing their home or have already lost their home due to foreclosure. And it is not fair that a person can stay in an expensive home and then just all of a suddenly decide that they no longer wish to live on their home, placing them in the circumstances of having their home defaulted. This is just messed up. It is like a person can buy what they want and return it without paying the difference on it. Sad, sad, sad....
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
12 May 10
The people I saw on the show can afford their payments but are defaulting because their houses are worth half or less of what they used to be. They don't care about their credit, they said they will spend a few years building it up. They don't care about what they are doing to the property values of their neighbors or how they are smearing their own reputations. The bank they borrowed from has to take care of the house when they walk away from it. Everyone suffers but those that walk away. Indirectly, you and I suffer, too, as the banks and mortgage lenders absorb these losses and pass them on in the form of fees and cutbacks in services and are unable to lend to small businesses, etc.
@savypat (20216)
• United States
12 May 10
If I lost my job and had no way to pay the bills I would walk away. There is only so much you can do at times. But I would never do this just because of the decrease in value of the property. For one thing in my experience Real Estate is always a good investment when you give it enough time. But then I would never have over extended myself to buy in the first place. I am lucky and spent 35 years in the lending field so I know the ins and outs of loans.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
12 May 10
You are lucky to have that experience! You must've seen all this coming, right?
If a person can't pay their bills because of a lost job or catastrophic illness or something else, I understand why they would walk away. I just can't see doing it just because your house lost value.
My house has lost value but I really don't care as I am here for the long haul. I love my house! The finance companies tried to talk me into a larger purchase, said I could afford it and I probably could have but I believe in living below my means and saving for a rainy day.