The Short Sale Doctors

Trend of US Mortgages ‘Underwater’ Grows

A growing percentage of U.S. homeowners were saddled with “underwaterforclosure-photo mortgages” in the first quarter, accounting for almost one in four homes in a trend that poses a serious threat to the housing market’s recovery, real estate website Zillow.com said on Monday.

U.S. home values also declined again in the first quarter, Zillow reported.

Homeowners with “underwater” mortgages—where the amount owed on the mortgage exceeds the value of the home—are more prone to defaults and foreclosures.