While the purchase price was $1.03M, loans in 2006 started at $978,500. Perhaps the owners took a 5 year I/O ARM on this one at somewhere around 4.5% (I don't recall if that was available then, but I think it is at least possible.) The owners could take a $100K+ hit right now, or pay the difference between $3500 and ($3,669.38) monthly. $170/month sounds deceptively palatable, but you've got to add in taxes, insurance, HOA, maintenance, mgmt and vacancy. Still, it's going to buy some time, and not everyone is as bearish as those here at the blog. Time will tell.