Stephanie Armour
USA Today
A foreclosure sale sign sits in front of a house in Miami Beach. A White House plan hopes to keep homeowners in their homes. By Carlos Barria, Reuters
WASHINGTON — The Obama Administration on Wednesday outlined key details of a $75 bilion housing rescue plan expected to help as many as 9 million homeowners rework mortgages into more affordable monthly payments.
Among the details, borrowers who want to qualify for the loan modification plan will have to provide proof of financial need and payment ability, including an affadavit of financial hardship, their most recent tax return and two pay stubs.
The program will apply to loans made on or before Jan. 1, 2009 and modifications will be allowed only once. Those with first mortgages of more than $729,750 do not qualify.
“Today’s annoucement means you should call your lender to find out if you qualify,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist with the National Association of Realtors (NAR). “This should get the ball rolling.”
The outline of the rescue plan was announced Feb. 18. Among the details added Wednesday:
• Loan Refinancing. Up to five million homeowners with a solid payment history on mortgages held or owned by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will be eligible to refinance into more affordable terms.
The rules announced Wednesday say homeowners may be able to refinance even if they have less than 20% equity in their homes. An appraisal may be necessary.
The program will end in 2010.
• Loan Modifications. Lenders and other loan servicers can begin making modifications that could help up to four million at-risk homeowners stay in their homes.
To be eligible, homeowners with a first loan can have an unpaid principal balance up to $729,750. Higher limits will be allowed for owner-occupied properties with two to four units.
All borrowers must document income, which includes providing two most recent pay stubs and an affidavit of financial hardship.
The program will run until Dec. 31, 2012. Incentives are provided to get lenders to modify mortgages if a borrower isn’t late on payments but is at risk of default.
“I like the plan because it addresses (homeowners) who are not behind on payments,” say Yun, with NAR. “It addresses people who could default. It’s proactive.”
• Lenders and other servicers. Lenders will be required to use a formula on each loan that is 60 days past due or delinquent.
Lenders should take into mind the likelihood that homeowners can afford terms of the new loan.
Servicers also must follow an established process to reduce the monthly payment to no more than 31% of the borrowers’ gross monthly income. To do that, lenders will first reduce the interest rate on the loan and then could extend the term of the loan to as many as 40 years.
Servicers will get financial incentives, such as an up-front fee of $1,000 per modification, to encourage participation.
