The Obama administration's Foreclosure Prevention Program is open for business. The fix calls for companies to help as many four million struggling borrowers by modifying loans so monthly housing payments are no more than 31 percent of monthly gross income. Separately, homeowners who haven't missed a payment can refinance into lower-cost loans even if they have little or no equity. This is expected to help up to five million homeowners. The $75 billion loan modification plan will provide incentives to borrowers and loan servicers and investors to urge mortgage modifications. The government will also subsidize interest rate reductions to get borrowers to affordable monthly payments. Borrowers can now contact their servicers to see whether they are eligible for assistance. The loan modification plan focuses on people who are behind in their payments or are at risk of default. federal officials clarified the definition of "at risk" as those: suffering serious hardships, declines in income or increase in expenses; facing an interest rate hike; having high mortgage debt compared to income; owing more than their house is worth, or demonstrating other reasons for being close to default. The modification program will be in effect until the end of 2012, but loans can only be adjusted once.

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