You did read my original post about being furloughed after 9/11, right? Even so, I NEVER missed a mortgage payment or any other payment. When I went to a Legacy, I took a 30k per year pay cut, yet I had no problems paying my debts. Now, I'm making more than ever, yet still live well within my means. SAVING MONEY is how I prepare for the worst.
A house on 27k/year? Yep, I did it. If your wife doesn't like it then tell her to get a job. Hopefully couples can make at least 40 to 50k, enough to buy a modest starter home(they're called starter homes for a reason). BTW, with the crappy housing market a little research can find you a very nice house that's affordable, if you're willing to do some work to find it(and maybe fix it too). There is no reason to buy an unaffordable house!
My problem is with the original post. This guy will be saving $855/month for 60 months. That's $51,300! Do you think if his income is restored he'll call the bank and say, "I want to pay my full monthly payment now"? I doubt it, although I bet he'll SAY otherwise. Does the bank require any type of periodic income verification and credit check to show you still need a reduced payment?
I'm all for helping someone when they're down, until the system is abused.