在2008年時貸款買下了一棟時價110萬美元的“夢之屋”,作為律師,他的年收入有幾十萬美元,完全可以負擔房貸。兩年後麥克•李當選為參議員,他在2011年1月走馬上任,參議員的年薪為17.4萬美元,以一般美國家庭的收入來衡量,參議員的年薪屬於高薪,但從麥克•李的情況來看,與之前的薪水相比,他的收入則大大減少,家庭立刻麵臨財政困境,尤其是每月的房貸,壓力很重。
Less than two years into office, Sen. Mike Lee was forced to sell his dream home in Alpine with his mortgage bank taking a significant loss — up to $400,000 — in a "short sale" as the housing bust in his neighborhood drained his house’s value.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/54135277-90/lee-short-sale-housing.html.csp