Strategic Default Retribution ?

Well, it appears the Mortgage Banker's Association has conjured up a way of penalizing the homeowners who have decided to just walk away from their properties, utilizing the now infamous "Strategic Default" mortgage scheme.

A Strategic Default results when property owners just literally "walk away" from their properties for no apparent reason - other than they don't want to pay the mortgage any more.

The MBA apparently has decided to punish this group of people by requiring theme to wait up to 8 years before allowing them to enter the mortgage financing arena again.

If this is a scare tactic, as I have heard it may be, than I think it's a waste of energy. It may be that the MBA would like to slow down the strategic default rate, but people are smart. If they don't put teeth to it, it will not work. You need the GSE's (Fannie & Freddie) to come out and support the idea of punishment. Otherwise, the initial scare will go away, and the strategic default rate will continue to rise.

However, I do think this is fair, as long as it is genuine. If the MBA is going to use it's influence and choose to punish the Strategic Defaulters, it must be fair and not try to conjure up it's own "default" scheme of another name, whatever that may be. Check out today's TBWSDaily.com video. There is a suggestion that the MBA may have used the ol' Short Sale scheme themselves...

Everyone seems to be taking advantage of the distressed real estate market these days. It's sad, because we all are paying dearly for it as well...