Living in a foreclosed home after the 2008 crisis was explored by some people, one as a "talk me out of it" exercise put to various people. It came down to there being minimal de facto penalty for doing so even after a long term presence. Locks could be changed, mail service and utility service activated, improvements made, and any bank reps stopping by could be dealt with by giving some snowjob story, and who had really no teeth to make you leave. The enormous housing costs saved over 1-3 years would make it well worth it.