Home Mortgage Foreclosure

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Do You Need Help in the Foreclosure Process?

December 16, 2008 By: Category: Foreclosure Help

When you find yourself in the throes of foreclosure, help can seem unobtainable. There are many organizations that offer programs for those who need help in the foreclosure process. The internet is a great place to access information on these organizations. Many government and non-government agencies will offer this if you need help in the foreclosure process free of charge. Others are in the foreclosure business to make a profit. There are still others that are considered fraudulent and will take advantage of a desperate home owner. The best way to arm yourself against these harmful organizations is through research.
The HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) web site is a great source of information when you need help in the foreclosure process. They will give you contact information for HUD approved counselors. These counselors will be able to review your current situation and give specific advice of options that will help your situation.
Many law firms specialize in helping those in need of help in the foreclosure process. They will help you to form a foreclosure defense, if necessary. They can review your current mortgage agreement and determine if predatory lending was factor. This tends to be a costly option for help in the foreclosure process. Exhausting the free assistance is the best decision before accessing this type of help.
There are also many private companies that will contact you once the foreclosure process is started. These companies claim to assist those in need of help in the foreclosure process, but caution needs to be used as they don?t always have your best interest at heart. Many of these companies profit from the misfortune of others and are not always legitimate. Be wary of people offering easy solutions to your problems. Never sign anything that you don?t understand. Always ask informed questions and don?t agree to work with any one company without first doing research on their history. The Better Business Bureau is a good resource for checking the validity of these companies.
When you need help in the foreclosure process, it is readily available, but you have to go after it and find it. Talk to your lender. They are the best source for finding help in the foreclosure process. Make sure you talk to the early on in the process. There are more assistance programs that are available if you have only missed 1-2 payments. The farther behind you get the less help in the foreclosure process is available. They have as much at stake in your foreclosure as you do. Research found that lending institutions lose an average of fifty to sixty thousand dollars for every foreclosure. They are in the mortgage loan business, not owning or selling houses. It is in their best interest to help you save your house and keep them out of the foreclosure process as well.

Hope for Homeowners Act- How much will homeowners get from this plan?

October 09, 2008 By: admin Category: Foreclosure Help

There is a new federal program called Hope for Homeowners Act . It  began in October and is focusing on helping  those debtors that are  unable to pay their mortgages.  It is estimated that almost 400,000 homeowners could avoid foreclosure through this program within the next three years.
This program will help to refinance mortgages for borrowers who are having difficulty making their payments, but can afford a new loan insured by HUD’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
The primary way homeowners will participate in the program is by working with their current lender and/or  by refinancing your loan into a new 30-year fixed rate loan with lower payments.

Who is eligible to participate in  this program?

Only owner-occupants who are unable to afford their mortgage payments are eligible for the program. No investors or investor properties will qualify. Homeowners must certify, under penalty of law, that they have not intentionally defaulted on their loan to qualify for the program and must have a mortgage debt to income ratio greater than 31 percent as of March 1, 2008. Lenders must document and verify borrowers’ income with the IRS.
The existing mortgage was originated on or before January 1, 2008;

Existing mortgage payment(s) as of March 1, 2008 exceeds 31 percent of the borrowers gross monthly income;

The homeowner did not intentionally default, does not have an ownership interest in other residential real estate and has not been convicted of fraud in the last 10 years under Federal and state law; and

The homeowner did not provide materially false information (e.g., lied about income) to obtain the mortgage that is being refinanced into the H4H mortgage.

Duration:

The program will begin October 1, 2008 and will finish  on September 30, 2011.

How does the Program Work?

There are four ways that a homeowner could pursue participation in the Hope for Homeowners program

1.  Homeowners should contact their existing lender and/or a new lender to discuss how to qualify and their eligibility for this program.

2. Servicers working with troubled homeowners may determine that the best solution for avoiding foreclosure is to refinance the homeowner into a new special H2H loan.

3. Originating lenders who are looking for ways to refinance potential customers out from under their high-cost loans and/or who are willing to work with servicers to assist distressed homeowners.

4.  Counselors who are working with troubled homeowners and their lenders to reach a mutually agreeable solution for avoiding foreclosure.
Besides working with their current lender this H4H program  includes the following provisions as well:

  • The new loan amount may not exceed a maximum of $550,440.
  • The new mortgage will be no more than 90 percent of the new appraised value including any financed Upfront MortgageInsurance Premium.
  • The Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium is 3 percent and the Annual Mortgage Insurance Premium is 1.5 percent.
  • The holders of existing mortgage liens must waive all prepayment penalties and late payment fees.
  • The existing first mortgage must accept the proceeds of the Hope for Homeowners loan as full settlement of all outstanding indebtedness.
  • Existing subordinate lenders must release their outstanding mortgage liens.

What should you do next?

If you  are threatened by possible   foreclosure  you should find good professional  foreclosure help.  You may schedule online your FREE Foreclosure Consultation here . The experts will guide you through the whole process  including negotiation with current lender  and/or arranging other - Hope for Homeowners Program  solutions.

The final list of all participating lenders is not ready yet. As soon as it is officially announced we will publish it here. Stay tuned and subscribe to our newsletter or rss feeds.

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Help Stop Foreclosure

October 06, 2008 By: Category: Foreclosure Help

There are many companies that offer to help stop foreclosure. Most are legitimate companies that are able to help the foreclosure process. There are others that are looking to prey on you when you are weak and desperate. It is important that you properly research any company that you consider working with to help stop foreclosure. There are also many free resources that are available. The internet is a great place to access this information. Make sure that you do your homework before allowing anyone to help.
The best place to start is to communicate with your lender. They are in a unique position to help you. They have quite a bit at stake if your property goes into foreclosure. It is estimated that lenders lose between fifty to sixty thousand dollars every time a property is foreclosed on. They are in the business of lending money, not owning or selling houses. There are also laws that prevent lenders from making a profit on foreclosed properties. They tend to be motivated to help stop foreclosure. It is important to never ignore any communication that your lender sends you. There are programs that are available when you are only 1-2 payments behind that are not available the further behind you get. The initial letters will provide valuable information to help stop foreclosure.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is a great resource when finding help stopping foreclosure. Their web site offers many tips that you can do on your own that may be enough to help stop foreclosure. The web site also offers information to contact HUD counselors that are trained to help stop foreclosure. These counselors either provide their assistance free of charge or for a minimal fee. Some other companies will charge fees as high as 2-3 times you current mortgage payment, so HUD counselors are a valuable place to start.
If you do end up working with a company that can help stop foreclosure, make sure you research them extensively. Check the Better Business Bureau in your area to see if they have any grievances against them. Never agree to sign something that you don?t agree with or understand. It is not uncommon to find others that claim to help stop foreclosure, but are only looking to take advantage of your situation. Be leery of those that claim to be able to solve your problems by signing a few papers. You may be signing away ownership of your home. Also be weary of those that offer the counsel to stop paying your mortgage. They do not have your best interest at heart.

Foreclosure Help in Ohio

October 05, 2008 By: Category: Foreclosure Help

Since Ohio has led the nation in foreclosures, many agencies have developed programs that offer foreclosure help in Ohio. Many states have been adversely affected by the subprime mortgage crisis, but state officials have led the way in developing programs offering foreclosure help for the state of Ohio. Subprime mortgages are mortgages that are offered to borrowers with blemishes on their credit reports. Typically, these mortgages came with ?teaser? rates for a limited number of years. After this ?teaser? period expired, their interest rates increased significantly, to the higher rate that was necessary to offset the low credit score. Many borrowers with this type of loan have found themselves unable to afford their mortgages with the higher interest rate. Many of these borrowers may not have been made aware of the actual cost of the mortgage before they closed the loan. These borrowers are the ones that are seeking foreclosure help for the state of Ohio.
Many federal, local and privately owned agencies are developing programs to offer assistance to these subprime borrowers. One privately operated agency, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), has developed a program that offers refinancing loans for Ohio residents with subprime mortgages. This type of foreclosure help for the state of Ohio consists on offering affordable 30-year fixed rate refinancing loans for those who find themselves unable to afford their mortgage payments. Although a few credit issues on the subprime mortgage are allowable, this program is mainly geared for those seeking help before going into foreclosure. In order to qualify for this program, the borrower must complete 4 hours of financial counseling before closing the new loan.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) controls the programs offered by the federal government offering foreclosure help for the state of Ohio. Their web site is a great place to determine what programs are available and what you qualify for. They also have many tips and advice on their web site to assist home owners to get their finances in order and redeem their credit score.
Another avenue to research is programs that your lender may have available. Because they hold your current mortgage, they can suggest which programs would be most appropriate for you specific situation. Since they have a lot of money at stake, they are willing to work with you to prevent foreclosure. Never ignore any communication that may come from your lender. Most of their options are only available for those that are only 1-2 payments behind. Be sure to research to find which program offering foreclosure help for the state of Ohio would be best suited for your situation.

Home Foreclosure Help

October 04, 2008 By: Category: Foreclosure Help

No matter when you are located, if you own a home, you may be in need of home foreclosure help. With the national subprime mortgage crisis, many homeowners across the nation are facing the possibility of foreclosure. Subprime mortgages are loans that are offered to people that cannot qualify for prime mortgage rates. These mortgages come with high interest rated to offset the credit risk. Unfortunately, they also come with very low ?teaser? rates, available for the first few years of the loan. Many borrowers have gotten themselves into mortgages that they cannot afford, based on these teaser rates. When the teaser period expires, they find their mortgage payments increasing significantly. When faced with a mortgage they can no longer afford, they start looking for home foreclosure help.
The best first step in researching home foreclosure help is to access the Department of Housing and Urban Development web site. There is a comprehensive list of all the help available to prevent foreclosure. Because you can customize the search depending on where you live, it is the best place to access local programs that are available. They also provide a list of financial counselors that are trained by HUD. These counselors are able to consider your situation on an individual basis, analyze it, and provide solutions best suited for your specific solution. Since they are local to your area, they will be able to offer the most appropriate home foreclosure help.
Another great source of home foreclosure help is the lender that currently hold your mortgage. Never ignore any communication that your lender sends to you. They have many programs available to them to help keep you out of foreclosure. However, most of these programs are only available if you are only 1-2 payments behind. The farther behind you get, the less home foreclosure help will be available to you. They can also provide you with current local home foreclosure help that you may be eligible for. They have a lot at stake if your house goes into foreclosure. They are usually very motivated to offer assistance to avoid foreclosure.
When facing a financial crisis, be it from job loss or poor choice in first mortgage, it is important to seek home foreclosure help early in the process. There are more programs available to borrowers when they are at the beginning of a foreclosure threat. Be sure to do your research. There are many programs available to help with preventing foreclosure, you just have to look. Be sure to investigate all your options before committing to any one program. It is important that the solution be the best fit for your current situation.

Colorado Foreclosure Help

October 03, 2008 By: Category: Foreclosure Help

Colorado is near the top of the national list for home foreclosures. Because of this, many home owners are seeking Colorado foreclosure help. There are many agencies that are offering assistance to home owners that are facing foreclosure. Many of these cases can be attributed to the subprime mortgage crisis. Subprime mortgages are loans that are offered to borrowers that do not qualify for prime mortgage rates. These subprime mortgages come with a high interest rate to offset the credit risk. They also come with a very low ?teaser? rate that is only available for the first few years of the mortgage. Unfortunately, there have been many reported cases of predatory lending action when selling these mortgages. Many borrowers were not aware of the actual cost of the mortgage until it was too late. Now, many Colorado residents are in need of Colorado foreclosure help.
The best place to begin a search for Colorado foreclosure help is the Department of Housing and Urban Development?s web site. HUD has many resources available on this site. Many tips and foreclosure avoiding advice is listed there. They also have a customized search that will give agencies offering specific Colorado foreclosure help. They have a comprehensive listing of financial counselors in your area that are available to give you specific advise based on you current situation. Many foreclosures have been avoided because of the intervention of financial counselors.
Contacting you lender is also another valuable was of finding Colorado foreclosure help that is available. Since your lender has a lot at stake if your house goes into foreclosure, they are usually willing to work with you to keep that from happening. It is estimated that lenders lose between fifty to sixty thousand dollars for every foreclosure. They are not in the business of owning or selling homes. Never ignore any communication that your mortgage company sends you. While there are many programs that offer Colorado foreclosure help, most only apply to those that are only 1-2 payments behind.
When trying to find Colorado foreclosure help, it is important to do a lot of research. There are companies that advertise assistance for a fee. These fees tend to be very high and you can usually find the information on your own for free. Be very cautious when deciding what company or agency to work with. Many offer similar programs, but not the same fee schedule. Being an informed consumer is the best defense you can have against foreclosure. Be sure to seek help when you first start to have financial problems. Many times this can be the difference between being able to keep your house and going into foreclosure.

Available Home Foreclosure Listings

October 03, 2008 By: Category: Foreclosure Help

When looking to purchase a home, a great way to save money is to check out home foreclosure listings. These homes have been repossessed by the bank. The bank sees them as a financial burden and is motivated to to sell and recuperate their investment. Often the banks will agree on a price that is below value, as long as they receive their investment back. Because of this, home buyers have the potential of saving thousands of dollars on their new home. Another benefit to buying below value is that there is immediately equity in the house.
Finding these homes is the most challenging part of the process. Not all of these foreclosed homes are listed on conventional real estate property listings. This is where the home foreclosure listings are helpful. There are two types of home foreclosure listings, free and membership sites.
Membership sites are the most inclusive lists. These sites have listings that are for members only. Because they are sites that have to be paid for to access, they tend to have the most up-to-date information. Most of these sites offer a free trial period. Once the trial period, usually 7 days, has expired, the site charges the monthly rate to the credit card entered upon registering. They also offer weekly subscription rates, for those that only need short term access to home foreclosure listings.
Free home foreclosure listings are available on a variety of different sites. The sites that are maintained by HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) are free sites. These sites are update frequently with extensive information on the available properties. The drawback for these lists is that it only contains the listings for the HUD owned homes. Private bank foreclosures are not listed on these. Finding a home on HUD?s home foreclosure listings can be more financially valuable in that HUD offers further discounted rates for police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and teachers.
Real estate agents that are registered with HUD are able to handle the sale of these foreclosures. Often these agents will also list the foreclosures on their general listings. Although this listing is free, it is often hit or miss when trying to find home foreclosure listings.
Banks and large banking institutions may also have home foreclosure listings that consist of their foreclosures. This is a good option if you are dealing with a local bank that has local properties. While this is a free listing, it is limited to the bank?s specific properties.
Buying a home that has been foreclosed is a great way to save money. The majority of effort is spent finding these homes. Home foreclosure listings are a time saving, valuable resource. Whether you chose to buy a membership to a foreclosure site or chose to access free lists, the information that is available on these lists is imperative to find a foreclosed home to purchase.

Home Foreclosure Help Available in Ohio

September 28, 2008 By: Category: Foreclosure Help

Ohio has led the nation in foreclosures. This fact has prompted many government and privately owned agency to develop home foreclosure help in Ohio. Most of this help is available to homeowners that took out risky ?subprime? loans. These loans are called subprime because of the borrower?s credit history; they were unable to qualify for ?prime? mortgage rates. The subprime mortgages come with a higher interest rate to cover the risk factor of the lower credit score. It also includes a limited time ?teaser? rate that was much lower than the actual interest rate. Many lending institutions did not make it clear to borrowers what the actual mortgage costs were. These borrowers often find themselves looking for home foreclosure help in Ohio once their ?teaser? period is over.
One privately operated agency, Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) recently developed a program to give home foreclosure help in Ohio to those with subprime mortgages. The program is called the Opportunity Loan. The program is a refinancing program that provides fixed 30-year mortgages at competitive rates to borrowers that can no longer pay their current mortgages. In order to qualify for this program, borrowers must complete four hours of HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) approved counseling. All the counseling hours must be completed prior to the close of the loan. If the borrower is far down the road to foreclosure, this program will not be able to help. Although some credit issues on the mortgage in the prior 12 months may be acceptable, it is important to seek help at the first signs of trouble paying the mortgage.
Other federal, local and private agencies can offer home foreclosure help in Ohio. Not all the programs will be available for all borrowers. It is important to research all the options and decide which one would be the best fit. The best place to start is with your lender. Lenders have the most up to date information on programs offering home foreclosure help in Ohio. Another great resource is the HUD web site. There are many tips and suggestions that will help you get your finances in order and help to avoid foreclosure. Links are available to customize the information based on your state and county.
Since the subprime mortgages have become a problem, many agencies are coming up with programs that offer home foreclosure help in Ohio and other states. It is important to research all the programs available. Don?t decide on any one program without first examining all to see which one is a better fit for your financial situation.

Free Foreclosure Listings

September 28, 2008 By: Category: Foreclosure Help

There are web sites that offer free foreclosure listings. This is a valuable resource when looking to save money by purchasing a foreclosed home. Most foreclosed homes are not listed as such on a standard real estate listing. These free foreclosure listings save valuable time when trying to locate the foreclosed properties in a given area. Because they have only foreclosed homes listed, most of the locating work has been done for you. By deciding to purchase a foreclosed home at a lower than value price, you have decided that saving money is important. That is the same with finding the home using free foreclosure listings.
Most paying sites do offer free trial periods. This allows you to access the same information as the paying member but for a limited period of time. You can gather a lot of valuable information and locations of these foreclosed homes in a few days. The drawback of relying on the free trial period is that new homes are added to the list daily. By having a limited time period, you may miss listings that interest you after your trial period expires. Most sites require that you enter credit card information upon registering for your free trial. If you do not actively cancel your registration at the end of the trial period, your credit card will automatically be charged. Many people access multiple sites and take advantage of the free trial period of more than one of these. Some of these different sites are hosted by the same company, so caution must be used when doing this. If you encounter a few of these sites, your free trial period may be denied. It is possible to have access to these free foreclosure listings, however caution must be used or you will end up paying for the service.
Homes with FHA insured mortgages that end in foreclosure become property of the government. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) handles the sale of these homes. There are web sites that offer free foreclosure listings consisting only of HUD houses. Since these homes are owned by the government, the listings are available to the general public for free. HUD also offers additional incentives to home buyers that are in certain occupations. As part of the Good Neighbor plan, police officers, fire fighters, teachers, and emergency medical technicians can purchase these homes for an additional 50% off the asking price. This program helps to bring revitalization to neighborhoods by bringing in ?good neighbors?.
When considering purchasing a foreclosed home, it is imperative that you check out free foreclosure listings. Having a comprehensive list of available properties in a given area makes the process of purchasing one of these homes significantly easier. When these lists are able to be accessed for free, it becomes more valuable.

Help After Foreclosure

September 20, 2008 By: Category: Foreclosure Help

If you tried everything to avoid foreclosure, but the bank ended up foreclosing anyway, take heart, there is help after foreclosure. While it does not come in the form of saving your lost home, it will assist you in being able to purchase a new home.
The internet is a good place to begin looking for help after foreclosure. While there seems to be more information on preventing foreclosure, there is good information available to help after foreclosure. Many of these sites recommend the same things. The first is to not immediately begin to look for a new mortgage. Most lenders will view your foreclosure as a very high risk. This will put you in a very high interest bracket. You need to be focusing on rebuilding your credit rating. By immediately getting into a new mortgage with high interest, your new payments will be significantly higher, leaving you more strapped each month. Instead, take about 24 months to get your finances in order and rebuild your credit. You will then be able to qualify for a more reasonable interest rate.
Sometimes help after foreclosure comes by doing seemingly simple things. By evaluating your finances, you will be able to set a reasonable, but conservative budget. This will allow you to pay down debt, save money and re-establish your credit score. This will enable you to, down the line, afford a reasonable mortgage that you will be better able to manage long term. The money that you save over this 2 year period can be used as a down payment on your next house, reducing the cost further by eliminating mortgage insurance.
Paying attention to your credit report will offer great help after foreclosure. In this rebuilding period, it is crucial to keep all your accounts current. You could also get a credit card for only small purchases that you pay off every month. This will prove that you know how to responsibly use credit. By paying attention to your credit report, you are able to monitor the activity on all your accounts. You will be better able to stay on top on any false reports that may appear.
After your two year period is over and you are able to get another mortgage, it is important to shop around for you new mortgage. Lending institutions have different underwriting guidelines. Some may be able to offer better help after foreclosure. One lender may weigh your foreclosure more heavily against you than another. By shopping around and comparing offers, you can save money on your new mortgage. This will help you to receive a mortgage that you can manage better long term, avoiding foreclosure again.