Some eye-opening stats...

According to a CNNmoney.com report today, nationally, 1 in 4 mortgages is currently “under water”. That comes to almost 11 Million homes where the owner owes more than the home is worth.

The majority of underwater mortgages are heavily concentrated in five states that have particularly suffered from the housing bust: Nevada, at 65%; Arizona, at 48%; Florida, at 45%; Michigan, at 37%; and California, at 35%.

For us in Florida, that is a very scary number…45% of all homeowners owe more than their homes current market value! Add to that continued job losses and the potential number of defaults/foreclosures is tremendous.

Hopefully, the expanded and extended homebuyer tax credit will keep a finger in the dyke long enough to give sellers who are not yet under water who want/need to sell to a chance to get out. But looking forward, as the tax credit expires, and if the Fed follows through on its plans to scale back its purchases of mortgage-backed securities (MBS), which will signal the end of these historically low interest rates, I sincerely believe that we will see a resumption of the decline in home values here in South Florida.

Sellers and those thinking of selling take heed…your window of opportunity is the next 6 months…