If you were one of the many people who were wooed by the American Dream of a home of your own, even though your credit was lousy and you had no money to put down, you are probably worried about the problems that 1.5 million families faced in 2007 and an additional 2.5 are projected to face this year: foreclosure on your home.
This kind of loose credit seemed the ideal path to the dream of a home of our own, with little to no down payment and low (even if only temporarily) interest rates.
Now, loans inflated by the issue that there was no equity put into the mortgage and that home prices are now falling drastically, are turning out to be the American Nightmare.
Rates on these loans could be as high as 10%at the time when prime mortgages were available at less than 6%, frequently resulting in mortgage payments of over $2,000 on even small homes. Every small adjustment in the ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage) could mean a $300 to $400 increase in the mortgage payment. A further catch is that the homeowner can’t even attempt to refinance at a better rate because his credit is still poor and his home value has gone down. “Upside Down” loans, where the outstanding loan balance is greater than the value of the home are becoming common.
Is there some way out for these sub prime borrowers? The federal government is looking into a number of solutions, but a homeowner should make sure to take his own steps to improve his situation.
The one thing a homeowner should not do is to ignore the problem. If it seems like this month’s payment is not going to be made, make sure you call the lending institution and explain the situation. In many cases, they will work out a payment plan, especially if there has been some problem such as a loss of a job or illness.
Contact a counselor. The Department of Housing and Urban Development can offer a housing counselor in your region who can help you find steps to dig yourself out of the problem.
Cut back on non essential expenses, especially if you have credit card debt. There may be some expenses that you have no choice about, especially as food and energy prices are increasing, but non essential items should be examined carefully. The savings can be devoted to your high interest credit card debt or to catch up on mortgage payments.
You might be eligible for a government program to help out. The federal government has a new program for low income families that will let them roll over into a 30 year fixed rate home loan, as long as they were current on their loan before their ARM rate reset.
Some other solutions are more drastic, but may be better than foreclosure.
Dump the property. This is probably far from the best time to sell your house, but some banks may take the proceeds of the sale in full settlement. It may simply be a better idea than having another foreclosure on their books.
Go into bankruptcy. This is a last ditch solution since you will be hampered in terms of your long range financial plans. Your credit rating will, of course, be even more damaged, but your loans will be consolidated and some even eliminated, allowing you to catch up on your debt.
There are solutions to be found, but the borrower with a problem home loan cannot afford to bury his head in the sand, but rather get out there and search for the solution.
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