Courtesy of Mortgage Orb

Twenty-two percent of people with mortgages are having trouble making their payments, a new Harris Interactive poll finds. That number includes 7% who are having “a great deal of difficulty.” Twenty-one percent those with mortgages believe they are in a negative-equity position.

These numbers are lower than they were a year ago, Harris Interactive explains. Those having difficulty paying off their mortgages have declined from 29% to 22%. At this time last year, 24% of those with mortgages thought they were underwater.

The modest improvements may be deceptive, Harris Interactive adds. One reason why slightly fewer people are having difficulty paying their mortgages this year is that some people who were in difficulty last year have lost their homes and no longer have mortgages.

The online poll surveyed 3,171 adults during the first full week of March. Two-thirds (66%) of all adults have mortgages on their homes – slightly lower than last year’s 69%.

SOURCE: Harris Interactive