Ah, if only the American Dream purchased on easy credit were so simple to leave behind.
With the previous tightening of the bankruptcy laws (aimed to protect big banks and their questionable lending practices) many American’s won’t find it so easy to excuse themselves of debt this time around. http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/20/pf/bankruptcy_bill/index.htm
The cycle of easy credit with an easy escape (either by refinancing an appreciated property or Chapter 7 bankruptcy that previously allowed many to walk away from unsecured debt for only a few hundred bucks) is no longer an option. It’s also a situation the economy hasn’t faced before and any recession caused by the current housing market slowdown, could be prolonged by the difficulty the middle class will have getting back on stable financial feet.