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Why Loan Modification Beats Refinancing Your Mortgage

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Modifying a mortgage loan has become much easier since the implementation of the Obama administration’s loan modification plan. This plan provides incentives to lenders to change the terms of an existing loan to make payments on Columbus houses more affordable to homeowners. In the past, getting a mortgage modification was far more difficult, since lenders had to bear certain costs of the process.

How to determine if you qualify

In order to qualify for Obama’s loan modification program, the home must be your primary residence, and you must have purchased your home before January 1, 2009. The Obama plan does not apply to jumbo loans, which in most cases means your loan amount can’t exceed $729,750; however, the allowable limit may be higher in high-cost housing areas.

Your first mortgage, including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, must exceed 31% of your gross monthly income, and the program applies only to a first mortgage, not to any second mortgages or home equity lines of credit. Finally, you must be experiencing some type of financial hardship that makes it difficult for your to pay your mortgage. Common causes of financial hardship are job loss, a reduction in hours, illness, and divorce or separation.

After qualification comes the process

The first thing you need to do is to get in contact with the lender. Once you have done so, you then need to request the modification plan. Some lenders who are not part of the Obama plan will probably refuse. Those who are, and there are many, will agree to the plan.

Your next step is to get all the necessary paperwork in order. You will need to be able to provide evidence of your monthly income before tax,k the last tax return that you filed, if you have savings and/or assets then you are required to provide relevant info about them. You will also need to provide statements for the mortgage and loan and this includes your second mortgage if you have one, or else the home equity line of credit. To help make the process easier draw up a budget. Make sure that your monthly expenses, which includes your credit card and loan installments, whether it be a student loan, or something else.

Once you’ve gathered this information, you will go through the final process with your lender of negotiating the terms and completing the necessary paperwork.

Modification vs. Refinancing

When you refinance your mortgage all the closing costs and other fees become your responsibility. However, when it comes to the Obama plan there are no fees and even if you are late with your installments the late fees, or interest, can be waived. Unless your credit record is impeccable, it is highly unlikely that you will be granted refinance, because of the present state of the credit climate. So, cost and the ability to qualify are two of the main reasons why you should investigate the option of loan modification.

If you are late with payments, or you are not able to afford remaining in your home because of the usual costs when taking out a loan, then loan modification is just what you need. This is not to say that refinance is never a viable option, because it is. For one thing, you are able to gain access to the cash in your home equity through refinancing. Also, if you have equity in the home and you would like a better interest rate, this can be achieved through refinancing. And what is more, you can apply for the improved rates even if you do not qualify for the loan modification plan.

Doing your own loan modification is a simple process, and there is no need to pay the typical fees of $800 to $2,000 to hire a lawyer or service provider to negotiate the modification on your behalf. The Obama plan provides enough incentive to lenders that you can negotiate your own modification, provided you are well prepared and can make a good case that you’ll be able to pay your modified monthly payment.

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Quick Trade Secrets To Sell Your Home Fast

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Are you thinking how to get Foreclosure Help St Louis when your income is on the downward slope and you can anticipate something like that you might face a foreclosure. This at all cost must be avoided and in the event of such a case fast action is advisable. If you have taken out a loan and cannot repay it back you might face a foreclosure. It is important that you take quick action by consulting your lender. The leader can give real foreclosure help in order to retain your home. Foreclosure Help St Louis provides some of the best assistance services pertaining to foreclosure.

As per the lenders even they don?t want foreclosures as it includes a lot of costs for them. One such cost is court cost. The Foreclosure Help St Louis would provide you with some of the best assistance to avoid a foreclosure.

When you opt for foreclosure help St Louis it is necessary that you go by a few norms. If adhered to the core, they can help you avoid foreclosure. Knowledgeable and skilled professionals who are well aware of the various aspects of foreclosure and real estate laws provide foreclosure help in St. Louis. Their experience, acquired through several years of dealing in similar cases, gives them the necessary insight to advise their clients.

The main purpose of the Foreclosure Help St Louis based services is that they specialize in dealing with several kinds of difficult situations pertaining to mortgage repayment. They can show you the way out of such trouble very easily. The Foreclosure Help St Louis services have a number of strategies pertaining to different situations. These strategies are specific-to-specific kinds of problems and all of them are time tested.

Each of the plans or strategies of the Foreclosure Help St Louis services are based on special fundamental rules and regulations which has been studied for years. The plans usually consist of a manageable repayment package which is suitable to both the lender and the customer.

Some of the important points in Foreclosure Help St Louis services included in a plan are provided below. The first and the foremost is to make arrangements for good faith payment or the money repaid to the lender out of your good gesture towards the repayment of the loan. This is also a step to cover up the deficit.

If you are wondering where to source funds for this token amount, you need not worry as foreclosure help St Louis will also help you in this regard. It serves a double purpose. On the one hand, it will equal the amount that was supposed to be paid within the stipulated time and on the other, it will also reinstate the confidence of the lender in the borrower. As a homeowner, you can then, posit your conditions and postpone the foreclosure process according to your convenience.

The next step in the process to avoid foreclosure is to prepare documentation regarding the financial condition of the borrower. Providing details about your income and expenditure is necessary so that Foreclosure Help St. Louis professionals can plan a loan repayment. However, you must be very careful while giving the details, as it is difficult to change any of the financial details after you submit them. The experts of Foreclosure Help St. Louis devise a loan repayment plan without worsening the financial situation. A letter explaining the reasons you missed payments is also necessary in order to make the lender understand your problem. Negotiations with the lender can resolve the problem and stop foreclosure with the help of measures like loan restructuring, forbearance and so on.

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How you can Avoid Foreclosure St Louis

Sunday, April 5th, 2009

The process of foreclosure involves the selling off of the mortgaged property by the lender when the borrower fails to repay his loan. The property can be occupied according to a clause in the mortgage contract or may involve a judicial procedure. When faced with such a situation, it is better to act immediately and look for ways to avoid foreclosure St. Louis. These methods to stop foreclosure help you to taking the drastic step, that of letting your house into foreclosure. Various opinions to avoid foreclosure St. Louis are available. Dealing about the ways to avoid foreclosure St. Louis, this article gives you options to choose from. All you need to do is keep your calm and work towards the way to avoid foreclosure St. Louis.

The basic idea behind a loan, for a lender, is to avail the profits from the interest given by the borrower. When a borrower fails to repay the loan it means a heavy loss for the lender and a subsequent foreclosure to get back his money. A foreclosure can be a difficult phase to handle, but with the right help you can avoid foreclosure St. Louis. Different options to stop home foreclosure help you to overcome this difficult situation. Some of these choices are discussed below:

Avail expert help: It is best to contact HUD counselors if you know that your finances do not permit the repayment of the loan. The guidance and assistance of the counselors is necessary to overcome the difficult situation. A consultation with the HUD counselors also gives you the necessary insight into the different aspects of the situation. Moreover, lenders usually holdup the foreclosure process when they know that the borrower is consulting an expert to avoid foreclosure St. Louis.

Rework your loan: One effective way to how you can avoid foreclosure St Louis is to reduce the monthly installment is to prolong the repayment tenure. Basically, extend the number of years in which one intends to repay the loan. This brings down the monthly burden on a person.

Be honest to the lender: To avoid foreclosure, be proactive and honest in dealing with your lender. If you anticipate failure to repay then talk to the lender directly, even before getting a default letter from the lender. If the monthly repayment becomes un-payable because of rising interest rates then one should reach out to the lending institution. Often the lender would prefer reducing the interest rate to foreclose or stop foreclosure. This is the third option to avoid foreclosure in St. Louis.

Opt for forbearance: In order to avoid foreclosure St. Louis you can also use the method of forbearance. After you request for forbearance to the lender, you can stop the installments for a particular time. This can be done when you are expecting a large sum of money from a source. Application of forbearance gives you adequate time before you can repay the lender.

Sell your property: When you cannot think of any other way to avoid foreclosure St. Louis, you can sell your property at a lower rate than the prevalent market price. The money that you acquire from the sale will greatly help your cause. Moreover, you can strike a deal with the new buyer that passes on the responsibility of repaying the debt to him.

Filing Bankruptcy: Declaring bankruptcy is your last resort in order to avoid foreclosure St. Louis. However, the exercise of this option must be done after much discussion and deliberation. You should try and file for bankruptcy on a date prior to your designated date of foreclosure. Otherwise this option would fail to save your home from being seized. It is best to be fully aware of your financial status when you take a loan for your home. This would enable you to avoid foreclosure St. Louis and save your self and your family from being rendered homeless and hopeless.

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