Maybe or maybe they see the writing on the wall and want to get these on the market before the Gov forces a solution that would not be to their advantage.
Either way I think push is coming to shove, the Gov does not want to be Japan, which is the path we were on (still be sitting with 12% unemployment in CA 10 years from now).
One way or the other , there will not be a marked improvement in the unemployment without a housing solution/recovery of one sort or the other (well at lease absent of an economic magical miracle).
Either way we live in interesting times.