Recession Causes Foreclosure Rates To Soar Even Higher
February 14, 2010 by redbearing
Filed under Finance
The recession has caused the loss of many jobs which is resulting in a number of people unable to make their mortgage payments. Foreclosures are higher than have ever been seen before. To counter act some of this the Obama administration has commenced several financial plans, one of which is The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) This program allows homeowners who meet the necessary qualifications to have reduced mortgage payments.
The mortgage payment is usually a person’s highest bill and may be the last one to get paid. If you are struggling to buy groceries and keep the electric one may not be able to pay your mortgage payment. Unfortunately most banks will not take a partial payment. As soon as one payment is not paid late charges and interest are piled on. Soon the payments are spiraling out of control.
If one does go into foreclosure it will take at least 7 years and a good credit record before it is possible to be able to own a home again. Although the standards on this are finally lessening it is still a black mark against your credit. Fortunately loan modification programs are able to give one a chance to gain back their financial independence and pay their mortgage more easily.
HAMP has been allocated $75 billion dollars to provide incentives and cash grants to financial institutions to help individuals who are in trouble. Additional help is given to lenders who are willing to provide loan modifications to individuals who are at risk of having their own foreclosed on. In some case banks may lower interest rates. They have been known to be lowered to as little as 2%. Many times bank will lower the principal amount that is owed by the mortgager to make the payments more affordable.
There are many advantages to the loan modifications. One of the main disadvantages is not everyone is qualified to partake of their benefits. To qualify there are certain steps one must go through. Evidence must be shown that after the loan is modified the homeowner will have enough money to make the new payment. Their will be a background check on the owner to determine if he/she has been in this position before and if a modification was created at that time. A hardship letter must be written explaining what caused the default in the first place. Finally the net expense of the mortgage including all late fees and penalties should not be more than 31% of the gross income of the homeowners.
If you find yourself in this situation it is very important that you become familiar with the procedures involved in a loan modification process. A great website that can give additional help is 1stForeclosurePrevention.com. They allow you to chat online with professionals familiar with foreclosure and ways to stop it. They can also help you with a free evaluation of your current mortgage. Professional help is just a click or a call away.
1st Foreclosure Prevention can help stop foreclosure from happening to you. These loss mitigation specialists will give you a free evaluation immediately. Don’t delay. You can get out of this nightmare and you may even be able to save your home.