Facing Foreclosure? The HOPE For Homeowners Act May Be For You!

The housing rescue legislation that was signed into law recently is called the Hope for Homeowners Act of 2008. Sound hopeful? Maybe! Oversimplified, the act offers government guarantees to lenders who are willing to work with you to keep you out of foreclosure. But, you have to be "qualified" for the program.

The HOPE for Homeowners program will 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 program begins October 1, 2008 and ends September 30, 2011.

Here are some key points about the program and its qualifications:
* The program goes into effect October 1, 2008. Until then, look for other options.
* Your lender has to be willing to write down your loan to 90% of your home's value. In other words, your existing mortgage lender has to be willing to reduce the balance of the mortgage so that there's a 10% equity cushion in the property.
* Your existing mortgage must have originated before January 1, 2008.
* The program is available for your primary residence only.
* You must be devoting more than 31% of your income to your mortgage payments.
* Income must be verified to qualify for the new loan, and you have to be able to afford the payments on the new loan.
* If you sell your home in the five years following this refinancing, you have to share the profit with the government.  The government's share is calculated on a sliding scale for the first five years; after that, you'll split the profit 50/50.

Every report I've read about this legislation says that the bill will save 400,000 homes from foreclosure. It is estimated that the funding limits for those federal loan guarantees will make it possible to help that many families. Lenders take the write down, but avoid the expense and risk of foreclosure, and benefit from rebounding property values if foreclosures slow and excess housing inventory is eliminated. And, if they don't take advantage of this program, there is a good chance that an irate Congress will increase regulation of the mortgage industry.

It remains to be seen whether the Hope for Homeowners Act of 2008 offers real hope, or becomes another infamous bail out that helps only the wealthy. It appears to me that the program will offer the most benefit to those who are struggling, but are current enough on their payments to look like a good risk. If you're looking for more articles about HOPE act you can read the press release here.

http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr08-150.cfm