Hope it's been a great week for you.
The thought of picking up and leaving your home behind, while still owing money on it, might seem like an extreme option, but for some, it might be their only option.
An Arizona couple with an "underwater mortgage" was recently profiled in a story on Yahoo Finance ("What Happens When You Walk Away From Your Home?" by Chris Taylor). The couple's home was appraised at nearly $400,000, but with the market downturn, they were told they'd be "lucky to get $200,000 for it", so with their $260,000 loan, they were substantially under water. The couple was faced with a tough decision; make the payments on their new home plus the payments on this older one, or stop paying the mortgage on the older one.
Strategic Default.
"I constantly get the saddest e-mails from people saying, 'I've exhausted all my life savings, my retirement is gone, and now I have to default,'" said Jon Maddux, CEO of YouWalkAway.com, in a comment included in Taylors' article. As applied to these particular Arizona couple, they had to "wrestle with it", with the reasoning that they work so hard and so long to build strong credit, with an element of pride as a factor, as well. Ultimately, they looked at the numbers and realized that just cannot continue paying both loans.
With some numbers Taylor provided from CoreLogic, almost 11 million homes are underwater, with 1.5 million of them already in the foreclosure process (as per RealtyTrac). These numbers are due to spike, with a far-reaching impact on housing prices and the market in general. What's an underwater homeowner to do?
Taylor lists a few things to keep in mind, for example, "companies default on their obligations when it makes financial sense for them to do so, via the bankruptcy process", and that "It's not personal; it's business". As for penalties, your Credit Score will bear the brunt, and a few years will need to go by to start removing the bruises and the blemishes.
What else should you keep in mind?
Taylor suggests that a Strategic Default should be a "last resort", and you should consider refinancing, as well as government programs "designed to keep you in your home". Your location is key, since each State "has its own rules and regulations regarding foreclosures". You should also talk to a professional about the implications, including tax implications, before deciding.
"Strategic default isn't a decision to be taken lightly, of course", Taylor says, and adds that it's not desirable, "but not the end of the world either".
Has a Strategic Default been an option you have considered at some point?
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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com
TAGS: #Arizona #underwatermortgage #StrategicDefault #strongcredit #foreclosureprocess #housingprices #homeowner #bankruptcy #refinancing #governmentprograms
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