Mortgage Updates

I don’t know about any of you, but the process of buying and selling isn’t one that I would consider “fun.” It takes forever, you have to deal with people that don’t have your best interests in mind, and it is too easy for things to fall into the cracks from the teams of people that work on your home.

This whole thing is one that leaves you in the bind because you have to keep paying your mortgage and there are still problems with the transition stages.

However, there are alternatives. Recently, I ran into a few websites that allows you to sell your home in an average of 2 - 4 weeks. No hassle, no going through the hoops, none of the running around in circles with legalities and problems. Basically, these companies allow you to advertise your home through them, and they sell it as quickly as possible. Here’s what I love about these companies.

- they offer you 80 - 85% cash value of their home, despite the quick turn around
- they take care of all of the legal issues and pay for them
- they have a system that doesn’t miss any potential problems, without you having to worry about anything.

Whether you are looking for a way to get out of foreclosure or need to move on, selling fast is still an option. If you are looking for a way out quickly, you don’t have to worry about the condition of your home, the reasoning behind it and you don’t have to go through months of waiting.

This particular system works by having a list of potential buyers and individuals who are looking at property. They guarantee to buy and sell fast on both sides by connecting both links so that everyone gets what is needed.

If you need an alternative towards getting out of your home and moving out, this is it. It will allow you to get away without the attachments to a mortgage or home.

We are all seeing it, feeling it and are most likely being affected by it. The foreclosure rates are skyrocketing right now, and are continuing to move up. In Colorado (my state), the problem started a good two or three years ago, with foreclosure rates up by about 50%. Now, this is beginning to resonate with the rest of the country.

So, with that said, if this is a pattern among almost half of the households, I don’t think it’s a problem of the households. Despite what some real estate agencies say…that homes are not paying and they are bad because of it… it’s really because the economy is horrible and the real estate banks that give loans are greedy. Come on… ARM rates that are at 8%? That will ‘break’ you.

It’s finally gotten so bad that there are now new systems that are coming into place. I’m certain that these will continue, with new legislation working at a national level. For those that are in a home, this is good news for you. If you have a bank that is large enough, they will be extremely flexible to prevent you from loosing your home. Just call them. For others, the most recent legislation - as of April, 2008, is from HUD with the FHA Loss Mitigation Program. These should be coming out on June 1, 2008 as a finalized statement. Basically, you can save your home no matter what your financial condition.

The reason why this is happening is because the banks are ‘finally’ starting to loose money from those who are in homes from foreclosures. The rates have gone up too far and too fast. The result? Banks can’t afford to close homes anymore in order to stay in business. So, instead they are finally working with those who are in trouble.

If you are a couple of months behind on your payments, I suggest that you start to talk to your mortgage company and bank in order to find your alternatives. As bad as the economy is becoming are more options than there have ever been in order to stay in your home.

With the state of affairs as they currently are more homeowners have continued to fall behind on their mortgages. The numbers are a staggering 65 percent increase from this same time last year. The hardest hit states reported are Nevada, Arizona, California and Florida. But this is a nationwide epidemic and is reaching a very hard turn in the U.S. economy.

RealtyTrac Inc. has monitored default notices along with bank repossessions and auction sale notices to come up with the results. They also report that one in every 519 households received a foreclosure filing in April.

Many homeowners faced with the increased fuel costs and other financial difficulties are struggling to pay their mortgages. Selling their home is not an option as the continued weak housing sales and the falling home values have left everyone in quite a state.

The mortgage industry and the goverment are not doing enough to keep up with the rising number of people who are falling behind and once that process is begun it is almost impossible for people to be able to play catch up and stay ahead of the game.

The current forcast is for more than one millon home foreclosures in 2008. This is a rising problem in the United States and needs addressed immediately. However, there is a homeowner aid package which is to clear the senate but the White House has threatened to veto the plan.

There seems to be no end in sight to the rising foreclosures across America. The majority of these foreclosures are happening to hard working middle class people who cannot keep up with the rising oil prices which is driving the market into high food prices, high utility bills and a much high cost of living. Until the oil prices are addressed, the mortgage foreclosures will continue to rise at a rapid pace and there is just no end in sight.

And in the news of mortgages and foreclosure is the world of the government. On April 9th, it was announced that there would be a new HUD assistance program offered. For HUD homes, those who need extra assistance in order to prevent foreclosure, would have the ability to re-finance and work with HUD in order to secure their homes. The act is being called FHA Secure, meaning Federal Housing Administration Secure.

The idea is to provide assistance to those who may loose their homes and need extra help in paying the bills and getting caught up. It is providing help to give more mortgages to those who can not afford housing. It is also offering security for those who have some late payments or received mortgage principal from the lender that started their mortgage.

The “plan” is to help those who need extra assistance in mortgages so that they can get out of the situation they are in and so they can keep their homes. This is supposed to give the lenders flexibility of loans through an extra $68 billion.

While this may temporarily fix the problem of mortgages, foreclosures and everyone in America who doesn’t have enough money to live (basically everyone), it doesn’t get to the root of the problem. If you look closely, you will notice that the money is being given to provide - not assistance - but extra mortgages. This allows those who are already in debt to add in more debt on top of this, so that they can “get caught up.” Eventually, the money that can’t be paid back has to be paid back.

The late payments and principal, while it may seem to be a quick fix, only offers re-finance options. It doesn’t necessarily change the situation or the problem that the individuals got into in the first place.

With the power and control that the government and HUD has over homes that are about to foreclose, as well as our entire living situation in America, is also what leaves me pondering - are we ever really going to be safe and secure with the system we are set up with? Or, are we just all bound to loose money and living possibilities through high interest rates and banks that are ready to take it all under a disguise of having a new “security blanket.”

For those facing the possibility of foreclosure on their home, there options. From the various programs that your mortgage company may have to the possibility of filing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy there is help out there. The biggest hurdle is getting over the depression that can accompany the financial catastrophe that has caused the foreclosure proceeding in the first place. When facing the prospect of foreclosure, the range of emotions can be hard to deal with. Your state of mind may possibly be hopeless and you think that there is nothing that you can do. This is not true. Although I can understand your feelings, as I have been there recently, you are able to overcome it.

You must first accept what problems arose that made it hard or impossible to afford the monthly payments. If you faced a hardship such as an illness or job loss, is the problem over? If you can answer yes to this, you are already on your way to solving your foreclosure problems. Even getting a month or two behind on your mortgage can create bigger problems. Often times, you are unable to pay the past due amount, but your mortgage company will not accept any payment until it is paid in full. This is the situation I found myself in. The first rule is you must stay in contact with your loan company. When they call, even if you can not make arrangements to pay at that time, still answer the phone and speak with them. They do have programs available to help you. You do need to contact them to try and work these out. They will not offer you any payment plans unless you ask.

Mortgage companies, especially now, do not want to foreclosure on your home. In most cases, they will not be able to get what the home is worth, and certainly not what you owe for it. This causes them to take a loss not only in the property, but in legal fees and court costs. Keeping the lines of communication open will help to resolve your problem much more quickly.

Some types of debt relief assistance your mortgage company can offer through their loss mitigation department are a forbearance agreement, payment plans, a loan modification, deed in lu of foreclosure and a short sale. Not all of these options may be available to you, or work for your situation. We will talk about a forbearance agreement first.

A forbearance agreement is an agreement made by you with your mortgage company to make up your past due payments in a few months, along with your current payment. Before you enter an agreement like this, be sure you are going to be able to make not only you monthly payment, but the additional payment they will be requesting. For example, if you have a $1000 a month mortgage, you may find that your payment has increased to $1500 for a few months. This will not stop the foreclosure proceedings though. You will still be considered in foreclosure until the entire past due amount is paid. Once you have accomplished this, the proceedings will stop. If at any time you are late on the payment, the agreement can be revoked. With this type of plan, there is not a grace period. If they have set a due date as the first of the month, you must have the payment there by that date.

A forbearance agreement is not always a good option for some. If you are not able to afford that additional amount, but can resume your monthly payments, you may have the option of a loan modification. This will enable you to add your past due amount to the end of your loan. This will lengthen your loan term, and possibly raise your monthly payment by a few dollars, but id a much better option if you are not able to afford a large payment. This loan modification is in an essence, rewriting your loan to start out with the total of your current loan amount. This is an excellent option to not only stop the foreclosure, but also if you are still struggling to make the regular payment.

There are other repayment options that your mortgage company may offer. You will want to explore what programs they have available, and be sure to apply for all of them. Each of these do require that you meet certain guidelines, especially that the hardship that caused you to become past due is resolved. Be honest with your lender. If you no longer make the amount of money that you once did, they can work with you. You must provide them all the information though so that they can offer a program that will fit into your budget. The important thing to remember is that before you enter into a payment agreement be sure you are going to be able to afford the payment that is being set up. If you are not able to, it will not help in any way to enter into the agreement.

If you are still facing a hardship, and are not going to be able to resume your monthly payments, you may look into options to give the property up. There are ways to do this without hurting your credit rating the way that a foreclosure and Sheriff Sale will. First, let’s examine a short sale. Your mortgage company has a network of investors that may be interested in your property. This is an option if the sale is looming ahead and you are not able to afford the property. Be advised though that your property may not sell for it’s worth and you may still be liable for a portion of your loan.

Another option is a deed in lu of foreclosure. This means that you turn the deed to the property over to the mortgage company. Often times they will accept your deed, rather than have the property go through a Sheriff sale. This gives them the opportunity to sell the property, without having to accept the low bids that can come from a sheriff sale. This again, is better for your overall credit rating. Please keep in mind though that your rating will be lower because of your late payments.

I hope that this has been able to give you some tools to get you out of the situation that you are in. It is very devastating to be facing a foreclosure and there are alternative out there. You must do the research and follow through with any plan you begin. As a last resort, if you have exhausted all your options, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy may be a possibility to keep your home. This only is possible if you are able to make your monthly payments again. There are fees associated with Bankruptcy, and vary from state to state as well as the acceptable assets that may be kept.

I wish you luck and success with your future home buying journey, and hope that with this advice and the determination you will continue to be a home owner.

If you are in a high interest mortgage or in a interest only mortgage, I would recommend refinancing now. Interest rates are really low right now, a lot of companies are advertising interest rates in the 5’s right now. Don’t feel discouraged if your not quoted a interest rate in the 5’s because it all has to do with your credit. But nonetheless I would still look into seeing if you can qualify for an interest lower than the one you have now.

In 2007, your mortgage insurance will be tax deductible helping to save Americans millions of dollars from this new law. Now instead of getting a piggyback loan that can and will be costly in the future they can consider mortgage insurance instead.

This is really going to help close to a million Americans who will buy a home next year using mortgage insurance,” says Kevin Schneider, president of U.S. mortgage insurance business for Genworth Financial.

Bottom line for consumers: Don’t get a piggyback loan without taking a serious look at mortgage insurance, because mortgage insurance is likely to be cheaper in the long run, and it might even cost less in the short run.

Mortgage rates fell and now there rising again. For those people with adjustable rates, this is a very bad time. Especially around the time of Christmas when you may already be spending hundreds on gifts and donations.

Rising interest rates might be great news for your savings accounts, but they’re not such great news for anyone whose mortgage rates adjust with the rising tide. In fact, adjustable-rate mortgages appear to be putting a financial strain on some homeowners.

That low payment looks sweet when you first sign up for a mortgage for your home, however what potential homeowners are not being told is that they could end up paying much more than they could afford later on.

Mortgage lenders often emphasize the low initial payments, but gloss over the possibility of higher payments later, according to John Dugan, U.S. Comptroller of the Currency.

Dugan says the government is taking steps to address the problems that arise from a variety of non-traditional mortgages that have helped fuel a housing boom.

One problem, he says, is that some lenders often fail to evaluate a borrower’s ability to make higher payments.

Many low income families are finding themselves facing foreclosure because they cannot afford the high payments affiliated with high risk loans.

Expanding opportunities for more people to buy a home is a good thing. But we do not want Americans to become overextended and see their dream end in foreclosure,” Paulson said.