In its May 19 issue, Forbes magazine offers what sounds like a common sense solution to this housing crisis. Why not simply extend the length of the loan rather than raise the monthly payment?

Or, in cases when that doesn't make sense, why not work out a deal where homeowners return part of the equity to the bank when the property is sold?

The article titled "An Equity Kicker" says these solutions could be reached by lenders and borrowers working together and government creating a secondary market for trading the new mortgages. Makes sense to me. What do you think?