For a lot of people, they have always paid their mortgage payments on time. As the U.S. economy takes it toll with a gloomy outlook on jobs coupled with the plague of underwater homes or fallen home prices, many homeowners discover themselves to be financially squeezed for the first time after experiencing severe loss of equity on their homes.

Homeowner Brian whose full name remains concealed for privacy reasons, hoodpay was always on time with his mortgage payments. He was of the opinion that paying down the mortgage balance was something he aspired to do. His opinion changed when he watched the value of his home falter thus making him question whether it was anymore worthwhile making mortgage payments.

Brian who works with the police force jointly bought a 4 bedroom property with his mortgage broker wife situated in the upper class neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona in 2005 for around $650,000. They offered a twenty percent down payment and obtained a 30 year fix-rate loan. As they were expecting expensive fees for their daughter’s higher education, home construction together with a scheduled wedding, instafinanz they applied for a second mortgage against their property. Today, they jointly owe their bank $647,000 for the first and second mortgage.

Average home prices in Phoenix have fallen 48% after peaking in the summer of 2006 as indicated by the First American CoreLogic Index. As a result, Brian estimates his home to be worth between $375,000 and $425,000 although it has a 4 car garage, a 1.2 acre lot that includes a swimming pool. Zillow.com, a web resource that estimates national home values based on the number of sales within its neighborhoods, estimated the house to be worth $374,000.

There are millions of homeowners in the United States who are currently underwater or indebted to their lenders for more than their homes are valued. They often beg the question whether to remain paying their mortgages and hope for things to recover or leave their houses with the undesirable end result of a seven year foreclosure injury to their credit records.

Luckily, they have not been evicted as they had the power to utilize some of their savings so as to continue paying their mortgage. With the remaining American homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth, there is simply inadequate equity in their properties to provide them security in the event of a medical emergency or an unexpected loss of wages such as job loss. Most of them are not able to rid their homes for enough money to pay back the bank as a result of severe fall in property prices. This notion makes them to be very likely victims of foreclosure.

There needs to be a magical rebound in the housing market in order to reverse the loss of equity in their homes. As we are witnessing today with severe unemployment rates and poor levels of home purchases, the likely hood of a significant property rebound will not take place anytime in the near future.

A number of residents in their town have performed strategic default or mailed in their keys and left their properties. It is convenient for Brian and his family to perform a similar act as it is so tempting for them to rent another dwelling for much less than their mortgage payments accounted together with property taxes, smaller-homes insurance and maintenance costs.

Brian is reluctant to hope for a miraculous boost in property prices that will rid his problem. He said that if the emergency fund fell below a determined figure, they will think about a short-sale.

A short-sale is when the house is purchased by another party for an amount less than the mortgage balance owed and the difference forgiven by the financial institution. As respectable homeowners, they have always paid their mortgage on time. However, watin-p they remain saddened as their savings are shrinking in efforts to continue paying their mortgage. He pointed out that at some foreseeable time, you will need to make the call and draw the line before you end up completely broke.