Norada Real Estate Funding

  •  Home 
  • Apply
  • Deals
  • Notes
  • Podcast
  • About
  • Contact

20 Million Underwater Mortgages by 2012?

August 5, 2010 by Marco Santarelli

More than 14 million borrowers were underwater as of Q1 2010, and with a further 10.8% decline in house prices expected relative to Q4 2009 levels, another 6 million borrowers are likely fall into negative equity by the end of 2011, according to commentary today by Deutsche Bank.

The presence of negative equity goes hand-in-hand with an increased likelihood of strategic default, as borrowers may sometimes not be willing to pay the mortgage when the house has lost substantial amounts of value.  The firm noted that, even when strategic default makes economic sense, many borrowers resist on moral and social grounds, as well as from fear of legal consequences. The existence of recourse — when a lender is able to pursue a borrower's other assets — also acts as a disincentive against strategic default.

Deutsche Bank noted 11 states are considered non-recourse — though not all explicitly forbid deficiency judgments on homes or on purchase loans.

Underwater borrowers are more likely to default in non-recourse states. The greater the negative equity, the higher the cumulative default rate. “Walk away or strategic default from a house with negative equity makes economic sense, especially in locations that have less expensive rentals,” Deutsche Bank researchers said. “Many existing academic studies model homeowners' default decision based on the theoretical hypothesis that a borrower would exercise a default when it is in-the-money, i.e., when the borrower's house has negative equity. Therefore, a homeowner with negative equity would default even though they can still afford to make their mortgage payments.

Filed Under: Economy, Housing Market

About Marco Santarelli

Marco Santarelli is an investor, author, Inc. 5000 entrepreneur, and the founder of Norada Real Estate Investments – a nationwide provider of turnkey cash-flow investment property.  His mission is to help 1 million people create wealth and passive income and put them on the path to financial freedom with real estate.  He’s also the host of the top-rated podcast – Passive Real Estate Investing.

Real Estate

Quick Links

Blog Posts

  • Boston Real Estate Market Trends & Investment Outlook
    November 12, 2020Marco Santarelli
  • Boise Real Estate Market Trends & Investment Outlook
    November 10, 2020Marco Santarelli
  • Chicago Real Estate Market: Trends & Investment Outlook
    November 9, 2020Marco Santarelli

Contact

Norada Real Estate Investments 30251 Golden Lantern, Suite E-261 Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

(949) 218-6668
(800) 611-3060
  • Terms of Use
  • |
  • Privacy Policy
  • |
  • Testimonials
  • |
  • Suggestions?
  • |
  • Home

Copyright 2018 Norada Real Estate Investments