PHILADELPHIA – April 5, 2012 – After months in the works, HARP 2.0 is available to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac borrowers who want to refinance but owe more on their mortgages than their houses now are worth.

HARP 2.0 – HARP stands for Home Affordable Refinance Program – is being billed as an improvement over the three-year-old version that just about everyone acknowledges didn’t help anyone.

The reason for that failure: The original program had limits on loan-to-value ratio, the amount of a mortgage as a percentage of the appraised value of a property. If the balance of a mortgage exceeded the appraised value – say, $300,000 versus $150,000 – the borrower wasn’t allowed to refinance.

Recognizing that none of the borrowers the program was intended to help would be able to qualify, the limits were dropped when the new version of HARP was heralded in October.

Does that mean all lenders have agreed to no limits?

“I have lenders that have limited the loan-to-values. Some have even differentiated between attached and detached homes,” said Philadelphia mortgage broker Fred Glick, who has launched a blog, http://harp2.com, to update consumers. “They still are limiting what they will do” with loan-to-value ratios of 150 percent and no more.

“All in all, it is a great way to get people’s rates down in spite of low values,” Glick said. “This will decrease the supply of homes for sale and increase values over the long run.”

As with all these programs, the months since HARP 2.0 was announced have been spent trying to get lenders on board – no easy task since Fannie and Freddie loans are pooled as mortgage-backed securities that are owned by many investors. All the investors need to agree before borrowers can apply to reduce monthly payments to today’s low fixed interest rates, which remained under 4 percent for many months but now are beginning to increase as bond yields rise in an apparently improving economy.

As of March 17, HARP 2.0 has been in place to help keep homeowners above water. About four million Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac borrowers nationwide owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth.

The government has a website, http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov, (link) that has details about HARP 2.0 and other information.

Underwater loans might also be eligible to refinance under provisions of the recent National Mortgage Settlement. That applies to loans neither owned by Freddie or Fannie nor insured by the Federal Housing Administration, which has its own streamlined refinancing under a program announced in January. Details of that settlement are being worked out, and eligible borrowers will be notified by the five participating lenders – Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Ally Financial, and Citibank – at some point.

To be eligible for HARP, homeowners must be current on their mortgage. That means paid in full up to date, with no late payments in the past six months and only one in the past 12. They also need to show that they can afford the new payments gained through refinancing without any trouble.

Borrowers must have closed on their current mortgage on or before May 31, 2009, and cannot have refinanced through HARP before. In addition, mortgages must fall under current “conforming-loan limits,” which vary by region.

One thing both Fannie and Freddie want to see is whether borrowers refinance to loans with terms shorter than 30 years. They call this “movement to a more stable product.”

Borrowers with an interest-only loan will be urged to refinance to a mortgage product that provides amortization of principal and accumulation of equity in the property.

Those who have an adjustable-rate mortgage will be encouraged to refinance to a fixed-rate loan that eliminates the potential for payment shock, or to an adjustable with an initial fixed period of five years or more and equal to or greater than the existing mortgage.

Homeowners with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage will be advised to refinance to a 15-, 20- or 25-year fixed that offers, in Fannie Mae’s words, accelerated amortization of principal and equity building. But borrowers won’t be allowed to cash out equity under this refinancing “except for closing costs and certain allowances to cover items such as association fees, property tax bills, insurance costs and rounding adjustments.”

Plus, borrowers may not satisfy subordinate financing in the form of a home-equity line of credit or a closed-end second mortgage with the proceeds of the refinance mortgage.

Balloon mortgages and convertible adjustable-rate mortgages are eligible for HARP 2.0 if the conditional right to refinance the balloon or convert the ARM was exercised by the borrower and “redelivered” to Fannie Mae before June 1, 2009.

Resources

• To determine whether Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac owns your mortgage, check at http://fanniemae.com/loanlookup and http://freddiemac.com/mymortgage.

• To access Fannie Mae’s frequently asked questions file, go to http://goo.gl/pN54x.

• Many of the rules and regulations outlined in the latest information from Fannie and Freddie are far beyond the understanding of the typical homeowner, and, as the government warns, scam artists are already hovering above borrowers, waiting to pounce. For information about mortgage-assistance-relief scams, visit http://FTC.gov.

• Some underwater homeowners will qualify for assistance under the Mortgage Settlement. The Center for Responsible Lending has a downloadable consumer’s guide for that program at http://goo.gl/2FZKM.

Copyright © 2012 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Distributed by MCT Information Services.

If you are a troubled homeowner hoping to refinance, pay attention next Tuesday as details come out on a new federal program that could make it easier starting in late December or early in 2012.

In the meantime, be sure you keep up with your mortgage payments so that you can qualify for the new deal.

Even if you missed payments in the past, it can help to be current going forward, said Kathy Conley, housing specialist for GreenPath Debt Solutions in Farmington Hills.

The revised Home Affordability Refinance Program (HARP) could apply to a broader base of people.

If, for instance, you owe $100,000 on a house that would appraise at just $50,000 – too deep underwater for a conventional refinancing – you might be able to refinance under the new HARP. That was not true under the old HARP, launched in 2009, which had a 125 percent maximum on loan-to-value ratio.

The new plan is expected be a big help for many homeowners in states that have been hard hit by drastic drops in home values, such as Michigan, Florida, California, Arizona and Nevada, according to Greg McBride, senior analyst for Bankrate.com.

Seeing mortgage rates hover near record lows – around 4.23 percent for a 30-year fixed and 3.48 percent for a 15-year – has many folks wondering whether it’s time to refinance.

In this tough housing market, what do you need to know? How can you save money by refinancing and make those low rates work for you?

Even with interest rates low and a revised federal program coming, refinancing is not for everybody who wants – or needs – a better deal on their home and some extra cash.

Some homeowners could face surprising hurdles, even if they’re not underwater and are current on payments.

“Everybody who is really hurting – and everybody who needs the help – can’t take advantage of the rates,” said Kip Kirkpatrick, CEO of Shore Mortgage Services in Birmingham, Mich.

What’s your credit score? How solid is your income? Got a lot of debt?

To refinance, the borrower needs a predictable level of recurring income – so such things as pension income would count, as would Social Security, your regular paychecks, alimony if expected to last three years or more, and interest on investments.

“You will need to provide a full accounting of your income,” said Bob Walters, chief economist for Quicken Loans in Detroit.

Lenders are going to look at how much money you owe on the mortgage and other loans relative to what you’re making.

“A reduction in income can lead to a higher ratio of debt payments to monthly income,” said Greg McBride, senior analyst for Bankrate.com. “A high debt-to-income ratio makes lenders nervous. The borrower is just one unplanned expense away from problems.”

As a general rule, it becomes more difficult – but not impossible – to qualify for a mortgage or refinance when a person’s total debt – to income ratio exceeds 40 percent to 45 percent, Walters said.

Your credit score counts. Lenders generally want a FICO of 680 or higher to qualify for the best rates in a conventional mortgage. A FICO of 620 tends to be the cutoff that often defines who can, and who can’t, get a mortgage.

Walters noted that there are exceptions to the 620 cutoff, especially when utilizing Federal Housing Administration programs with some lenders.

Credit scores also could have more wiggle room under the new federal Home Affordable Refinance Program. Gerri Detweiler, personal finance expert for Credit.com, said consumers who are in the process of a refinancing don’t want to go out and borrow money to get new furniture, buy a car or even get holiday gifts. Lenders are likely to look at your credit even the day before or the day of closing on that new mortgage, Detweiler said.

“If you’ve done something stupid with your credit, you could lose the loan,” she said.

So what if the house you bought for $280,000 and mortgaged for $260,000 is now worth $150,000?

Right now, you can’t do a thing with it.

For a conventional refinancing, the lender wants at most an 80 percent loan-to-value ratio. So if your home is worth $100,000 and you owe $70,000, you could qualify.

The new HARP 2.0 plan is going to address the underwater mortgage issue further.

“Anybody who thinks they’re underwater, I would say just hold off until the new program comes out,” said Brian Seibert, president of Watson Group Financial, a mortgage banker in Waterford, Mich.

The old HARP program had a maximum 125 percent loan-to-value ratio. But that cap is removed under the new plan.

“It’s easier to refinance through HARP than a conventional refinance,” Conley said.

But remember to stay current with mortgage payments.

Under HARP 2.0, the borrower would have to be current with the mortgage payment for the past six months and have no more than one late payment in the past 12. But Conley and others recommend that even if you were late in the past, you can try to be current now if you want to try to qualify for HARP 2.0.

“Definitely don’t skip the mortgage payment so you can go Christmas shopping,” Detweiler said.

Though the old HARP promised far more than it delivered – fewer than 900,000 refinancings and just 72,000 of them underwater – experts say consumers should avoid being discouraged. The revised program, which will run through 2013, could be an improvement.

The program would lower payments but would not reduce principal, so borrowers would still hold mortgages for more than their homes are worth. But they could avoid foreclosure.

Consumers who want to refinance should prepare paperwork, keep up payments, consider the new option and avoid the desire to give up.

“You feel the frustration that people have,” McBride said, “but sitting back and doing nothing is not going to solve the problem.”

WASHINGTON – Oct. 25, 2011 – Two big questions loom over the Obama administration’s latest bid to help troubled homeowners: Will it work? And who would benefit?

By easing eligibility rules, the administration hopes 1 million more homeowners will qualify for its refinancing program and lower their mortgage payments – twice the number who have already. The program has helped only a fraction of the number the administration had envisioned.

In part, that’s because many homeowners who would like to refinance can’t, because they owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth. But it’s also because banks are under no obligation to refinance a mortgage they hold – a limitation that won’t change under the new plan.

Here are some of the major questions and answers about the administration’s initiative:

Q: What is the program?

A. The Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, was started in 2009. It lets homeowners refinance their mortgages at lower rates. Borrowers can bypass the usual requirement of having at least 20 percent equity in their home. But few people have signed up. Many “underwater” borrowers – those who owe more than their homes are worth – couldn’t qualify under the program. Roughly 22.5 percent of U.S. homeowners, about 11 million, are underwater, according to CoreLogic, a real estate data firm. As of Aug. 31, fewer than 900,000 homeowners, and just 72,000 underwater homeowners, have refinanced through the administration’s program. The administration had estimated that the program would help 4 million to 5 million homeowners.

Q. Why did so few benefit?

A. Mainly because those who’d lost the most in their homes weren’t eligible. Participation was limited to those whose home values were no more than 25 percent below what they owed their lender. That excluded roughly 10 percent of borrowers, CoreLogic says. In some hard-hit areas, borrowers have lost nearly 50 percent of their home’s value. Another problem: Homeowners must pay thousands in closing costs and appraisal fees to refinance. Typically, that adds up to 1 percent of the loan’s value – $2,000 in fees on a $200,000 loan. Sinking home prices also left many fearful that prices had yet to bottom. They didn’t want to throw good money after a depreciating asset. Or their credit scores were too low. Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan acknowledged that the program has “not reached the scale we had hoped.”

Q: What changes is the administration making?

A. Homeowners’ eligibility won’t be affected by how far their home’s value has fallen. And some fees for closing, title insurance and lien processing will be eliminated. So refinancing will be cheaper. The number of homeowners who need an appraisal will be reduced, saving more money. Some fees for those who refinance into a shorter-term mortgage will also be waived. Banks won’t have to buy back the mortgages from Fannie or Freddie, as they previously had to when dealing with some risky loans. That change will free many lenders to offer refinance loans. The program will also be extended 18 months, through 2013.

Q: Who’s eligible?

A. Those whose loans are owned or backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which the government took control of three years ago. Fannie and Freddie own or guarantee about half of all U.S. mortgages – nearly 31 million loans. They buy loans from lenders, package them into bonds with a guarantee against default and sell them to investors. To qualify for refinancing, a loan must have been sold to Fannie and Freddie before June 2009. Homeowners can determine whether Fannie or Freddie owns their mortgage by going online: Freddie’s loan tool is at freddiemac.com/mymortgage; Fannie’s is at fanniemae.com/loanlookup. Mortgages that were refinanced over the past 2 1/2 years aren’t eligible. Homeowners must also be current on their mortgage. One late payment within six months, or more than one in the past year, would mean disqualification. Perhaps the biggest limitation on the program: It’s voluntary for lenders. A bank remains free to reject a refinancing even if a homeowner meets all requirements.

Q: Will it work?

A. For those who can qualify, the savings could be significant. If, for example, a homeowner with a $200,000 mortgage at 6 percent can refinance down to 4.5 percent, the savings would be $3,000 a year. But the benefit to the economy will likely be limited. Even homeowners who are eligible and who choose to refinance through the government program could opt to sock away their savings or pay down debt rather than spend it.

Q: How many homeowners will be eligible or will choose to participate?

A: Not entirely clear. The government estimates that up to 1 million more people could qualify. Moody’s Analytics says the figure could be as high as 1.6 million. Both figures are a fraction of the 11 million or more homeowners who are underwater, according to CoreLogic, a real estate data research firm.

Q: Who will benefit most?

A: Underwater homeowners in the hard-hit states of Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada could be greatly helped. Many are stuck with high mortgage rates after they were approved for mortgages with little or no money as a downpayment and few requirements. The average annual savings for a U.S. household would be $2,500, officials say.

Q: When will it start?

A: Fannie and Freddie will issue the full details of the plan lenders and servicers on Nov. 15, officials say. The revamped program could be in place for some lenders as early as Dec. 1.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press, Derek Kravitz, AP real estate writer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The White House is considering a housing proposal that would allow millions of homeowners with government-backed mortgages to refinance into lower interest rates, The New York Times reports.

“A wave of refinancing could be a strong stimulus to the economy, because it would lower consumers’ mortgage bills right away and allow them to spend elsewhere,” an article in The New York Times notes.

Many homeowners have been unable to take advantage of today’s low interest rates — which are averaging around 4 percent — because they don’t qualify for refinancing at the best rates since they owe more on their home than it is currently worth or because of poor credit. The refinancing plan is still under discussion of how it would work, The New York Times said.

“This is the best stimulus out there because it doesn’t increase the deficit, it accomplishes monetary policy, and it reduces defaults in housing,” Christopher J. Mayer, an economist at the Columbia Business School, told The New York Times.

The White House is also considering other options to try to stimulate the housing market or save homeowners from foreclosure. Such options include more changes to its refinancing programs so more homeowners can participate or a home rental program to that would rent out foreclosures instead of putting them for sale so foreclosures would stop weighing down overall home prices.

“This is just want this economy needs! I was just saying I would love to refinance my home but after talking to Wells Fargo I was told they couldn’t refinance my home because my loan to value wasn’t within tolerance. I was looking to refinance to a 15 year mortgage to take advantage of the low rates. I do hope this gets through the White House. I could see this as a huge plus for most Americans, putting $150-$200 a month or more in their pockets.”

Congress has extended FHA loan limits in 2009, 2010 and 2011 on an annual basis, but on October 1, 2011, the loan limits for the FHA will decline due to changes set in law. FHA loan limits are set slightly differently than those for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. By law, the lowest limit for any county for one-unit homes is $271,050. The ceiling for FHA currently cannot exceed $729,750, but that ceiling is set to decline on October 1, 2011 to $625,500.
For counties that lie between these limits, the mortgage loan limit is equal to the area median house price multiplied by 125% (currently) or 115% (as of October 1, 2011).
According to the limits published by the Federal Housing Administration, 620 of 3143 counties in the United States, or 20% of the total, will see a decrease in the applicable FHA loan limit. Many, but not all, of the affected areas are concentrated along the coasts and other high cost areas such as California. It is also worth noting that every county that will realize a decrease in its applicable GSE loan limits is also among the 620 counties that will face a decline in the FHA loan limit.
We use the American Community Survey (ACS) to demonstrate that these counties include significant concentrations of population and housing, more than the share of the counties affected (one in five) would suggest. In fact, the affected counties contain 44.3 million owner-occupied housing units of the 75.3 million nationwide or 59% of all owner-occupied housing in the U.S.
For counties facing a decline, the average decline in the FHA loan limit is $58,060 or 14% from current levels. For Pinellas and Hillsboro counties there is a $21,450 decline, $157,300 for Manatee and Sarasota counties.
To estimate the range of homes that will be affected by the change, we assume an average 3.5% down payment (the minimum required under present law by the FHA). Using home value data from the American Community Survey (ACS), we interpolate prices by county. With this approach, we estimate the following impacts concerning affected homes:
• Under present law, 8.32 million owner-occupied homes are priced above the existing FHA loan limits
• Under the changes set to take place on October 1, 2011, an additional 3.87 million owner-occupied homes will be put above the limit, bringing the total number of homes that are not eligible for FHA-insured mortgages to 12.2 million.

Stung by the crash of the housing market, some struggling homeowners are using a little known but increasingly popular provision of the bankruptcy code to eliminate second mortgages and avoid foreclosure.

Statistics are hard to come by, but bankruptcy lawyers say the provision has been used effectively on hundreds, if not thousands, of cases in the San Francisco Bay Area during the past two years.

“It’s a big thing in our valley,” said James “Ike” Shulman, a San Jose bankruptcy lawyer. “But it’s not widely known.”

Shulman, co-founder of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, said he has helped a number of clients who have filed for personal bankruptcy use the law to hold on to their houses – including three last week.

Cathy Moran, a Mountain View, Calif., bankruptcy lawyer, said one of her clients had a $132,000 second mortgage voided by the court.

“This is a really big-ticket issue that allows people to keep a home and conform the mortgage to something closer to real value,” Moran said.

Bankruptcy laws prevent homeowners from eliminating the debt of a first mortgage if they plan to stay in their home. But second mortgages are treated differently. They can be declared unsecured debt when there is no equity to cover them, as is the case for millions of houses that are now worth far less than a few years ago.

When that happens in a personal bankruptcy proceeding, the second mortgage is put on hold and no payments are required while the homeowner completes a repayment plan for other debts, which typically takes three to five years. At that point, the second mortgage is eliminated.

Many of these second mortgages were granted during the housing bubble, when home prices were going in one direction only – up, up and up.

“A lot of these are loans that shouldn’t have been made at all,” said Henry Sommer, editor of Collier on Bankruptcy, a publication on bankruptcy law.

One of Shulman’s clients, Veronica – who asked that her full name not be used – was struggling to keep the San Jose house she bought in 2005 for $612,000.

Her home’s value has dropped to about $367,000 – less than her first mortgage of $489,000 – which allowed her to petition the bankruptcy court to set aside her $122,000 second mortgage. The court granted her motion.

She successfully completed her payment plan for other debts two months ago, and her second mortgage is now eliminated.

“It’s wonderful,” she said. “After almost six years, I am finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I’m so, so grateful.”

Mortgage bankers don’t like the practice.

It’s “a troublesome phenomenon. It’s one of those things that’s just now developing and bubbling up,” said Dustin Hobbs, spokesman for the California Mortgage Bankers Association. But there is little the mortgage industry can do, aside from seeking to change the law. That could be difficult given the current partisan lineup in Washington.

And there are no complaints from investors in first mortgages, like the pension and retirement funds represented by the Association of Mortgage Investors. “We think with the right controls, something like this to allow a responsible, distressed homeowner to reorganize their assets, liabilities and cash flows is a very pro-business proposition,” said Chris Katopis, the association’s executive director. “We disagree with what the mortgage bankers associations are saying on this.”

The law has been like this for years, bankruptcy lawyers say. It’s just never been used as much because in the past there was usually enough equity in a home to cover the second mortgage.

“We’re having great results” using the rule, said Brette Evans, a San Jose bankruptcy lawyer. In one recent case, a small-business owner was able to hang on to her home by setting aside a $240,000 second mortgage, she said.

That put the borrower in “a safe zone” where she could work out a modification of her first mortgage, Evans said.

WASHINGTON – Aug. 9, 2010 – In an effort to help responsible homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than the value of their property, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided new details about a refinance program it announced earlier this year that helps responsible homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than the value of their property.

Starting Sept. 7, 2010, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will offer certain “underwater” non-FHA borrowers a new FHA-insured mortgage. To qualify, an owner must be current on his existing mortgage, and his lender must agree to write off at least 10 percent of the unpaid principal on the first mortgage.

“We’re throwing a lifeline out to those families … experiencing financial hardships because property values in their community have declined,” says FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens. “This is another tool to help overcome the negative equity problem facing many responsible homeowners who are looking to refinance into a safer, more secure mortgage product.”

Other details: A homeowner’s existing loan cannot be FHA insured, and the refinanced FHA-insured first mortgage must have a loan-to-value ratio no more than 97.75 percent. The owner must qualify for a new loan under standard FHA underwriting requirements and have a credit score equal of 500 or higher. The property must be the homeowner’s primary residence, and the new debt must bring the borrower’s combined loan-to-value ratio to no greater than 115 percent.

Interested homeowners should contact their lenders to find out if they’re eligible, and to determine whether the lender will write down a portion of the unpaid principal. If a homeowner qualifies, the U.S. Department of Treasury will provide incentives to existing second lien holders who agree to full or partial extinguishment of the liens. To be eligible, servicers must execute a Servicer Participation Agreement (SPA) with Fannie Mae, in its capacity as financial agent for the United States, on or before Oct. 3, 2010.

The FHA provided complete details in a six-page mortgagee letter that can be downloaded in PDF format. To read the letter, go to: http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/letters/mortgagee/files/10-23ml.pdf

John Fenech’s
Lending Reminders:

FHA Financing
• FHA maximum loan in Tampa Bay $292,500
• FHA down payment needed from borrower 3.5%. All of this can come from a family gift.
• FHA seller concessions currently at 6% of purchase price
• FHA processing time for SLS is approximately 30 days.
• Owner occupied only

VA Financing
• Maximum loan amount in Tampa Bay $417,000
• 00000 money down required
• Closing costs and prepaids can be paid by seller to 4%
• Limit borrowers escrow money because normally no money allowed back.
• Owner occupied only

Conventional
• Maximum loan amount is $417,000.
• Minimum down payment is 95% loan to value
• Borrower MUST have their own 5% into the transaction prior to gifts being used unless the gift is 20% of the purchase price or more.
• Rate adjustments for loan to value and credit scores
• Owner occupied, second homes, investor loans.

For more info on lending requirements call John at 727-827-1818

While many home-buying hopefuls are racing to the bank to close their deals before the $8,000 tax credit disappears, not every potential home-buyer thinks the best deals are out there yet.

But the money one might save by looking for a better home price could pale in comparison to the huge cost of waiting if the mortgage market doesn’t hold steady, and most mortgage brokers & banks expect a rise in rates later this year.

“Rates are almost at an all-time low,” said John Fenech at Sunbelt Lending with Coldwell Banker in St. Petersburg. “We’re still at about 5% for a 30-year-fixed loan (for someone with good credit and a good job).”

John says even a 0.5% change in interest rates means a $56/mo. difference for someone looking at a $180,000 30-year fixed-rate home loan. That translates to $672 a year. And $20,160 over the course of a 30-year loan.

Click here to get approved on line

With inventory shrinking and supply at the 6 month mark a place we haven’t see in Pinellas County in 4 years buyer are starting to feel pressure they haven’t experienced in years. This translates to good news for sellers, and after the losses they have seen in the past 3 years it’s the light at the end of the tunnel for many.

If you were looking for a sign that right now maybe the best time to buy, “it is”. Here is your sign! Don’t put off buying the home a home.

Don’t forget to check out “Search the MLS” or the list of “Bank Owned Homes”

Here is the updated list from Fannie Mae on PERS approved condos as of March 1st. There are a few additions to the list since December. If you remember, Fannie Mae has a task force dedicated to examining projects across the State to get them appoved. Once approved it allows us to do 80% financing on a conventional basis, for not only owner occupied buyers but 2nd home and investor buyers as well.

Click on this link “Fannie Mae Condo Approval 3-01-10″

Let me know if you have any questions.

John Fenech
Sunbelt Lending Services
Regional Loan Manager
Ph: 800-858-5674 or 727-827-1818
Fax: 856-917-2610