The Obama Housing Rescue Plan- Essential Details

1.  Mortgage Modification

If you’re facing foreclosure and want to “modify” your mortgage to keep your single family home or condo, you must meet the following criteria:

• Have secured your mortgage before Jan. 1, 2009
• Have a primary mortgage of less than $729,500 (1st Lien holder only)
• You must live in the property (primary residence only)
• Must fully document income with tax returns and pay stubs
• Sign a financial hardship statement
• Go for counseling if your total household debt totals more than 55 percent of income.
• 31% debt to income ratio for monthly home payments is the overall goal of this plan
• No loan to value ratios apply (this is especially good for underwater homeowners)
• Only one modification will be allowed per homeowner
• Loan Servicers must take into account the advantages of modifying versus the financial cost of foreclosing on the homeowner
• Borrower receives $1,000/year in principal reduction for on-time payments (five years maximum)

If you meet all the above listed qualifications, your lender will then determine how much to lower your monthly payment so it’s about 31% of your gross monthly income. The interest rate could be as low as 2%.

Homeowners will pay no fees for the modification. However, homeowners could face a balloon payment at the end if your lender reduced your monthly principal payment during the modification. So if your lender reduced your total payments $20,000, you could owe that amount when paid off your loan, refinanced or sold your house.  The new loan rate can go up after 5 years. It’s only low in the beginning to help the homeowner dig themselves out.

This plan will be in effect until the end of 2012 and can only be used once.

2.  Refinancing Option

If your current on your mortgage but your bank won’t let you refinance because your mortgage is “under water,” here’s how you qualify for the government refinancing program:

• Your home must be the primary residence
• Your loan must be owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac
• You must have sufficient income to support the new mortgage debt
• You can’t take cash out of the new loan to pay other debt

There’s another big restriction, however, that will make many South Florida homeowners ineligible for the program: the value of your house can’t have fallen much below the amount of the mortgage.

It is my belief that the loan modification portion of this plan will indeed be helpful to those homeowners that are having trouble keeping up with monthly housing expenses.  Especially those who are committed to keeping their primary residence for AT LEAST five years.  For eligible homeowners, who have have the ability and discipline to stay current with reduced mortgage payments, this plan should provide much needed financial relief.