Desperate homeowners scrambling to get a loan modification through federal foreclosure relief programs are beginning to shun the offer, opting for a strictly business approach to the dilemma — walking away.

Because the majority of modifications don’t reduce the principal payment on loans made during the overpriced boom years, underwater mortgages could still be drowning 10 years out.

The better option for those borrowers, some say, is to take the hit now and attempt a short sale, deed in lieu, or even allow their home to go into foreclosure.

“What motivation is there for a homeowner to pay a mortgage that is three times more than the property is worth?” said real estate attorney Rashmi Airan-Pace, whose Coral Gables firm Airan2, Airan-Pace and Crosa specializes in foreclosure defense.

Continue reading