Homeowners withholding mortgage payments in hope of economic help

Despite glimmers of a recovery in the housing sector, chaos theorists argue that the worst is yet to come. The banks are holding back a significant number of homes, in order not to overwhelm the market, but the properties may eventually come up for auction anyway. There are also reports that some people have stopped paying their mortgages, contributing to a longer-lasting housing crisis. These homeowners have stopped payments in the hope of qualifying for mortgage modifications or out of fear of job losses, according to George Mantor, founder and president of Associates Financial Group, a real estate consulting firm. With banks and servicing companies already overwhelmed by the increasing amounts of short sales and defaults, these non-payers are able to get away with skipping a few mortgage payments.