More homeowners decide to default 

More homeowners are choosing to hand their homes over to the bank rather than pay mortgages that may now cost more than the home is worth. In the past, defaulting carried a stigma and was usually done only in extreme cases. However, as homes become more difficult to sell, homeowners are finding it easier to just walk away from their mortgages, causing some in the industry to call for harsher penalties. A new company based in San Diego called You Walk Away helps homeowners give up their homes to banks for a fee of $995.