[quote author="IrvineRenter" date=1245535305][quote author="Goofy" date=1245479661][quote author="graphrix" date=1245475651]BTW, I find it interesting that the majority of owners in default there happen to have Asian last names. I thought Asians didn't default?</blockquote>
That's because the majority of owners there have Asian last names. Almost all of my neighbors are Asian.
What I don't understand is why people paid so much for these homes to begin with. A three story row house with no yard can't be anyone's idea of a "forever home", so why put up that much money to live there.</blockquote>
I review the property records daily for my posts, and I can assure everyone that Asians are just as irresponsible as the rest of Irvine homeowners when it comes to stupidly overpaying for real estate and borrowing themselves into oblivion with HELOCs. The myth of Asian frugality may have some truth in Asia, but once they get over here, they become full-borrowed Americans.</blockquote>
How about the sterotype of Asians cramming their whole extended family into one house? That is, the stereotypical number of people in a 4,000 sq foot house owned by white people might be four-husband, wife, two kids. The stereotypical number of people in a 4,000 sq foot house owned by asians might be twelve-husband, wife, five kids, grandparents on the husband's side, grandparents on the wife's side, and the wife's brother. That could be considered frugal, I suppose.
Of course, this probably doesn't apply to condos, although the square footage is above 2,000 in each unit, so maybe a bit...