It depends on which state you are in, but if you have a non-recourse loan and bought the house with a small deposit which you can lose, it might be a good strategy just to stop paying the mortgage until you get repossessed. In many states it takes a long time even when things are normal. In 2008 many people got to live in their house for years without paying. You'll screw up your credit and probably lose your equity but might be worth it. Do some research.