June 29th, 2009 by michael e. riley
The “Making Home Affordable” program introduced by the Obama administrationis may soon change to allow higher LTV (Loan-To-Value) ratios which in turn will open the program to more borrowers, particularly those with upside-down mortgages (mortgages where loan amount signifficantly exceeds the property value due to falling home prices).
The program is currently open to the borrowers who’s loan amounts are up to 105% of the property value and are owned or guaranteed by the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac agencies, which are currently sponsored by the US government.
The Director of Federal Housing Finance Agency James Lockhart has acknowledged in a press conference that the current LTV limit of 105% is being re-considered, however he did not reveal the new LTV figure.
Media reports that LTV limit could be raised to as much as 125% which could theoretically include up…
Read the rest »
May 19th, 2009 by michael e. riley
“FHA Streamline Refinance” refers to a process of refinancing a FHA mortgage and specifically the amount of documentation and underwriting that is required to be completed by the lender. The process (as any refinance) involves certain closing costs that are either paid up-front or rolled into the amount of refinance.
The requirements for the FHA Streamline Refinance are as follows:
- The mortgage to be refinanced must already be FHA insured
- The mortgage to be refinanced should be current and in good standing (not delinquent).
- The refinance is to result in a lowering of the borrower’s monthly principal and interest payments.
- No cash may be taken out on mortgages refinanced using the streamline refinance process.
There are a few different ways the lenders may offer FHA streamline Refinance. Some may offer it at no out-of-pocket costs by charging a…
Read the rest »
April 8th, 2009 by michael e. riley
This guide provides an overview of the FDIC’s program to assist bankers, servicers, and investors in this process. It outlines FDIC program terms at IndyMac Federal Bank, offers insight into the specific portfolio characteristics that drive modification modeling at that bank, and provides a framework for developing and implementing a similar program at your institution.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) official Loan Modification Guidelines.
FDIC “Loan Mod in a Box” additional Loan Modification Tools
Background
Although foreclosures are costly to lenders, borrowers and communities, the pace of loan modifications continues to be extremely slow (around 4 percent of seriously delinquent loans each month). It is imperative to provide incentives to achieve a sufficient scale in loan modifications to stem the reductions in housing prices and rising foreclosures.
Modifications should…
Read the rest »
March 9th, 2009 by Ned Marks
- Click To Download Mortgage Relief Program Official Guidelines
If you ever wondered what the official Mortgage Modification Guidelines look like – click on the image on the left to view the 17-page document titled “Making Home Affordable Guidelines”. We provided the highlights of the program below.
“Making Home Affordable” will offer assistance to as many as 7 to 9 million homeowners, making their mortgages more affordable and helping to prevent the destructive impact of foreclosures on families, communities and the national economy.
The “Home Affordable Refinance” program will be available to 4 to 5 million homeowners who have a solid payment history on an existing mortgage owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Normally, these borrowers would be unable to refinance because their homes have lost value, pushing their current loan-to-value ratios above 80%. Under the…
Read the rest »
March 6th, 2009 by michael e. riley
When it comes to taxes, there are so many different numbers and bits and pieces of information that you need to be aware of, that it is no wonder we find them so confusing.
There are very few people in the world today who are not at least a little bit confused on the topic of taxes. There are so many different details and issues that you need to be concerned with, and so it can be hard to get a full grasp on it all and really understand it. One of the most unusual and difficult to understand tax topics is mortgage debt relief tax.
What it is
Basically what the term mortgage debt relief tax refers to is those situations in which the person realizes that they have a mortgage that they are unable to afford. This…
Read the rest »
February 25th, 2009 by michael e. riley
Refinancing Under New Housing Plan can be confusing. Below examples provided by the US Treasury Department will help you understand the new Homeowners Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP). Find out if you can refinance or lower your mortgage under the new plan.
Family A: Access to Refinancing
- In 2006: Family A took a 30-year fixed rate mortgage of $207,000 on a house worth $260,000 at the time. (The family put just over 20% down.) They received a Fannie Mae conforming loan with an interest rate of 6.50%.
- Today: Family A has about $200,000 remaining on their mortgage but their home value has fallen 15 percent to $221,000.
- Their “loan-to-value” ratio is now 90%, making them
…
Read the rest »
Tags: 
