It's difficult to imagine the stress that homeowners feel when their home falls into foreclosure. Losing your home is a sign that you failed. You couldn't cut it. And now you and your family have been booted out of your home. It's humiliating. It's painful.

And these days, foreclosure can be a long, drawn-out process.

According to a story in the Washington Post, a growing number of homeowners have stopped paying their mortgage bills. But they're still living in their homes. That's because there are so many foreclosures taking place, that banks are behind on taking back foreclosed properties. That leaves many homeowners in limbo: They can't pay their mortgage bills, and have stopped doing so, but no one's taken their homes away from them yet.

This may seem to be a blessing to these homeowners, right? They get to live payment-free in their homes for an extra month, two or more. But for many, it's just the continuation of a mortgage nightmare.

Many families have already left their homes and moved on. Yet, until their banks take possession of these homes, they are responsible for the condition of their homes. They may not be living in them, but they have to mow the lawn and keep the house in good condition. They have to make sure the house is secure.

And all the while, they know the house, where perhaps they raised their children, is not really theirs anymore.

Even the most hardhearted among us can see how this might be painful, no?

Unfortunately, it's a situation that's not going to get any better any time soon. Banks and lenders still have to deal with a record number of pending foreclosures. Don't expect to see those monthly foreclosure numbers dip any time soon.