Roughly One-Third Of Homeowners Have Underwater Mortgages

Nearly one-third of U.S. homeowners owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth, according to a new national survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports. The new survey, which polled 720 Americans.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/housing/march_2011/31_say_they_owe_more_on_their_mortgage_than_their_home_is_worth

If someone can’t afford to make their increased mortgage payments, 22% of all Americans say it’s better for the government to assist them with their payments than it is for them to be forced to sell their house. But as they have for months, a sizable majority (64%) believes it’s better for the person to sell their house and find a less expensive one. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided.


In a survey last September, 39% of Americans said the government should encourage home ownership through incentives, but 51% said the government should stay out of the housing market all together.