Historically the reason for default has not been loan type or because mortgage companies have made bad loans over the past few years.
The number one reason for default is from Job Loss or Loss on Income. This accounts for 36% of defaults.
The number 2 reason which accounts for 21% is due to illness in the family.
The number 3 reason is because people have taken on too much debt and is the one that all of the newspapers are talking about.
The 1st and 2nd reasons have always been there and will not go away. The additional of the mortgage problem is what has created the increase in the foreclosures we are seeing.
These top 3 reasons account for 70% of the mortgage defaults.
Another precursor to foreclosure is divorce and quite often someone that is going through foreclosure is filing bankruptcy to stop their foreclosure actions.

