March 31st, 2009 by dmitriy
By default, most people are optimists. We all like to think that if our government creates a policy in a time of a crisis we can all depend on it to fix the problem at hand. The Obama administration has moved very quickly to address the housing problems that we all face as a nation and I applaud the effort. Many call it the “Obama Loan Modification”. It is unclear, however, if the Obama Loan Modification effort is going to reach as many people as may need it. For some of these people the effort is the last resort before crossing into poverty.
There are many blog posts and news reports out there describing the plan, usually riddled with technical terms and formulas that are hard to follow. In reality the rules of the Obama Loan Modification are …
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March 18th, 2009 by michael e. riley
Several government-subsidized loan modification programs made it easier than ever for struggling homeowners to modify their mortgages to a more affordable rate and prevent foreclosure. Borrowers who wanted to refinance in the past but could not qualify because their properties have lost value may be able to get a new more affordable rate meaning a lower payment.
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February 28th, 2009 by michael e. riley
In the past when homeowners were faced with job loss or a change in circumstances that restricted their ability to afford their home and were not able to pay their mortgage they would have the option to refinance with lower interest rates or sell their property. For most currently this is no longer a viable option.
Struggling homeowners cannot refinance due to plunging property values resulting in upside down mortgages, and even when they find a buyer for their property there is the challenge of not be able to sell for enough to repay the outstanding balance.
According to the data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) 11% of the nation’s home mortgages were delinquent by at least one payment, already in foreclosure or entering foreclosure. 7% of mortgage were at least 1 month past due and 3% of the …
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February 23rd, 2009 by michael e. riley
Presently the banks are often unable to help reduce mortgage rates for homeowners that are current on their loans. The Obama’s proposed plan is designed to alleviate the situation by encouraging banks to refinance or modify mortgages for responsible homeowners even if they are not yet behind on their payments.
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