OKLAHOMA CITY—In a year that saw a record number of mortgage defaults and home foreclosures, part-time landscaper Ben Foster, 34, was publicly vindicated in his bold decision, made back in the spring of 1996, to continue living with his parents. "It's like I've been telling my buddies for eight to 12 years now: 'Why get in over your head before you're ready?'" Foster said in praise of the no-risk, meals-included housing agreement he has maintained on and off since birth. "Sometimes it just makes more sense to be fiscally conservative, especially if you can move into the basement and set things up just how you like them." Leading financial analysts said Foster will likely remain secure in his current situation until skyrocketing medical costs force his aging parents to sell the house.