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Articles in Category: Obama Mortgage

HUD

Foreclosure Avoidance on FHA Mortgages: The Trial Payment Plan

The FHA recently announced changes to its policies designed to help those who purchased homes with FHA mortgages and have since fallen into financial trouble to avoid foreclosure. There are many government programs to help borrowers keep their homes in hard times including the Obama mortgage, and the FHA Home Affordable Modification Program or HAMP. If you have fallen behind on your mortgage payments on an FHA mortgage, the information here will be of special interest to you. Those who are under consideration for HAMP may learn they have to complete a trial payment plan before the HAMP modification can be finalized and approved. But what does this trial payment plan (also referred to as TPP) entail? The FHA announced modifications to the HAMP program this summer, and in FHA | more...

 
Buying A Fixer-Upper With An FHA 203(k) Rehab Loan

FHA Loans and Foreclosure Avoidance: The FHA HAMP Loan

When you purchase your home with an FHA mortgage loan, chances are you’re thinking more about moving in, getting settled, and making the home your own than you are the possibility that you could encounter financial hardship at some point and miss mortgage payments. But these things do happen to some borrowers, and the FHA has a program set up to help those who get into financial trouble. The FHA HAMP program was created to help borrowers avoid foreclosure and keep them in the home. FHA HAMP is a loan modification program and not a refinance loan, which is an important distinction to make. Under the terms of the FHA HAMP program, the FHA permits ” the use of a partial claim up to 30 percent of the unpaid principal | more...

 

FHA Amends Loss Mitigation Policies

The FHA has announced important changes to its Loss Mitigation Home Retention options, intended as stated in FHA Mortgagee Letter 2012-22, to “reduce the number of full claims against the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund by assisting a greater number of qualified, distressed mortgagors in retaining their homes.” The new rules, posted on November 16, have specific requirements for the lender. “No later than 90 days after issuance of this Mortgagee Letter, mortgagees must begin to assess mortgagors in default under FHA’s loss mitigation priority order and policies referenced herein.” The new FHA loan rules alter FHA’s Home Affordable Modification Program’s (FHA-HAMP) guidelines, as well as “the definition of “Special Forbearance” in Mortgagee Letter 2002-17; and Loss Mitigation priority order guidelines in Mortgagee Letter 2000-05.” What are these changes? We | more...

 

FHA Loans and Foreclosure: a Timeline

With home foreclosures still in the news even several years after the housing crisis of 2008, we've written a fair amount on topics related to foreclosure on FHA home loans. Default and foreclosure are often preventable if the buyer takes action early; in some cases a simple bit of additional information is the only thing a borrower needs to take action that can save the home. Missing one FHA mortgage loan payment isn't good, but it is not the end of the world if the buyer contacts the loan officer and the FHA to discuss next steps. But what happens when the buyer misses the a second payment? The FHA says when the second payment in a row is missed, the bank will definitely reach out to the homeowner, but | more...

 

FHA Loans: How Many Payments Can Be Missed Before Foreclosure Starts?

When FHA borrowers get into financial trouble, the best thing to do is to get in touch with the FHA and the lender immediately to start damage control. This helps avoid the borrower going into default or foreclosure on the FHA loan. Some borrowers mistakenly think that they are in foreclosure territory after missing one or two payments--but many more wrongly believe they have much more time even after missing two or more payments before the foreclosure proceedings start. The truth is that the foreclosure often varies depending on the state and the lender. How much time does a borrower have before going into default and foreclosure in general?

 

Is There a Minimum Credit Score For FHA Loans?

As with many government programs, the rules and requirements for FHA home loans change often. Some alterations come as part of new legislation designed to close loopholes that could threaten the fairness of the FHA mortgage loan process, others come as a way to update or modernize existing FHA loan programs. Because of such changes, the FHA loan program some potential borrowers explored a year or more ago, but didn't act on at the time, may have changed in the interim.

 

Making Home Affordable Refinancing and Loan Modification

n 2009, the Obama Administration created a plan to help the American economy recover from a serious financial crisis. Part of that plan included stabilizing the troubled housing market and reduce the amount of foreclosures. The Making Home Affordable program was introduced to help struggling home owners avoid defaulting on their loans, including FHA mortgages and equivalent programs for VA home loans. Under the Making Home Affordable program, several loan modification and refinancing options became available. Those with FHA loans who qualify for help under these programs have many options to save the home, prevent foreclosure and get back on track with their mortgage payments.

 

Rights and Obligations When Participating in HOPE for Homeowners

There are several ways you may learn about qualifying and participating in HOPE for Homeowners. You can discuss HOPE with your existing lender to see if you qualify, but you can also discuss HOPE arrangements with a new lender. If you are working with a loan counselor, HOPE may be suggested as an option. No matter how you learn about HOPE for Homeowners, there are several requirements, rights and responsibilities you should know before committing to refinancing with an FHA home loan under the HOPE program.

 

2009 Tax Credit and FHA Loan Down Payments Update

FHA borrowers were told they could use the loan as a down payment on their homes, but legal issues prevent banks from issuing down payment assistance on FHA mortgages. Since the initial May announcement, the rules have been revised so that such bridge loans are used within federal guidelines.

 

FHA Home Loan Numbers Increase in Spite of Housing Slump

While indicators show conventional lending markets are still feeling the effects of the housing slump the FHA has taken a larger role in helping consumers get affordable home loans. Some of the most recent developments are making those on the fence about buying a new home in this economy give FHA loans a second look.