In 2000 Loretta and Clifton Christian bought a two-family home in Irvington, a hardscrabble New Jersey town of 54,000, for $132,000. They poured money into it, fixing the roof and replacing the boiler. But in 2008 the world caved in and the couple lost their jobs soon afterwards; they now live off their pension and the income from a second-floor flat they let out. They manage to meet their monthly mortgage payments of $1,845. But their house is now worth just $71,000, significantly less than the outstanding mortgage of $115,000. Nearly 11m American homes are similarly "underwater". Despite the housing recovery, parts of the country are still struggling: 3m-4m people are in default, in foreclosure or awaiting liquidation. According to New Jersey Community United, a lobby group, nearly one in four homes in the state is worth less than the mortgage.
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机译：2000年，洛雷塔（Loretta）和克利夫顿·克里斯蒂安（Clifton Christian）以13.2万美元的价格在新泽西州伊文顿（Irvington）买了一套两套房子，这座小镇拼命拼凑着54,000。他们向里面注入了金钱，修理了屋顶并更换了锅炉。但是在2008年，世界陷入了困境，这对夫妻很快就失去了工作。他们现在靠退休金和出租的二楼公寓的收入为生。他们设法每月偿还抵押贷款$ 1,845。但是他们的房子现在的价值仅为71,000美元，大大低于未偿还的抵押贷款115,000美元。同样，近1100万美国房屋也处于“水下”状态。尽管住房得到恢复，但该国部分地区仍在挣扎：有300万人至400万人违约，处于丧失抵押品赎回权或正在等待清算的情况。根据游说团体新泽西社区联合会（New Jersey Community United）的说法，该州近四分之一的房屋价值低于抵押贷款。
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