debtor revolt
One thing about Big Shitpile that seems to have gone under the radar is the potential for--and, increasingly, the reality of--debtor revolt. That is, people who owe more than their home is worth refuse to pay without a renegotiated mortgage. Sean Broderick thinks that "a debtor's revolt is going to be one of the defining trends for 2010", and recounts this episode:
Two years later, Adam's $450,000 Loxahatchee House was worth only $189,000. And he couldn't find a renter for his home in Lake Worth. He tried working with the bank (one bank had given him mortgages on both properties), but they…