You may think that only a small percentage of Americans would ever consider walking away from their mortgage. You may believe that only people lacking in financial responsibility would ever consider such an act. You may think that walking away from your mortgage means that you are a financially irresponsible.
You would be wrong.
A 2011 research study by the credit-scoring company FICO revealed that people who strategically default on their mortgages tend to be more credit-savvy and have better credit histories than other defaulters.
Why?
People who understand the wise use of credit also tend to understand the long- term negative consequences of continuing to pay on an underwater mortgage loan.
FICO conducted the study of credit bureau data to develop a more accurate model of who is more likely to engage in a strategic default. The study was titled: “Predicting Strategic Default.” FICO defined a “strategic defaulter” as someone who is underwater on their mortgage, more than 90 days delinquent on mortgage payments, but current on other debts.
The result of the FICO study confirmed what I have believed for quite some time: the more educated a person is about personal finance and credit, the more likely they are to engage in a strategic default.
According to the study, when compared with other people who defaulted on their mortgages, people who engage in a strategic default also generally:
• Have higher credit scores;
• Use credit more judiciously;
• Have not been in their home for very long; and
• Shop for new credit cards and credit lines before they strategically default.
Another study by credit agency Experian revealed even more interesting results. This study used data based on the Vantage credit scoring system developed by the three largest credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and Trans-Union. The “Experian-Oliver Wyman Market Intelligence Report” made the following conclusions:
• People with very high credit scores (often called super-prime borrowers with VantageScores of 901-990 points) chose to strategically default on their mortgages at a rate 50% higher than other defaulters;
• Borrowers with multiple first mortgages (i.e. people who owned multiple properties) had higher levels of strategic default;
• Property owners with higher mortgage balances were more likely to engage in strategic default.
What does this mean? People with very high credit scores and individuals who are real estate investors are much more likely to engage in strategic default. In other words, people who know more about credit and real estate investing are using strategic default as a financial option. Shouldn’t this be a lesson for the rest of us?