This week, mortgage rates continued to fall, indicating a drought in consumer spending, and the immense job losses nationwide.

According to Frank Nothaft from Freddie Mac, vice president and chief economist, the economy shrank by 0.3 percent in the third quarter.

Having the economy experiencing massive job losses, foreclosures, bankruptcies and financial distress, lenders have tightened their credit standards even further.

The Federal Reserve Senior Loan Officer survey from October states that about 70 percent of the banks raised their prime mortgage lending standards, and about 90 percent of the banks offering nontraditional mortgages also did the same.

With the economy in turmoil, it is crucial for consumers and homeowners to be wiser with their spendings for months to come. Even keeping their credits in good shape is important when economy does turn around. If your credit is shot, chances of getting a loan or a refinance are slim to none. You don’t want to miss out on opportunities.

Hang in there. This economy will turn around eventually. It’s just a matter of riding out the difficult times cautiously and keeping your eye out for that light at the end of the tunnel.

Waiting for the homeowner bailout provisions to come down to you from the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 won’t be necessary. The $300 billion Housing Economic Recovery Act of 2008 can provide more to relieve you immediately if necessary. In fact, the $300 billion recovery act mandated mortgage modifying provision and a voluntary “Hope for Homeowner” (H4H) refinancing program, so homeowners an qualify.

The $300 billion recovery act signed in July is ready to take effect. It was mandated for mortgage servicers to modify loans for certain homeowners and help avoid foreclosure under these requirements:

1. A default on the mortgage either has already happened or is “reasonably foreseeable.”
2. The home owner lives in the property as his or her primary residence.
3. The lender is likely to recover more through the loan modification or workout than by forcing the home owner into foreclosure.

The institute further advises:

1. Your hardship letter should demonstrate job loss, a serious health condition, an ensuing balloon payment, a coming adjustable rate reset or some other financial calamity that will preclude you from making your mortgage payments as scheduled.

2. Send the letter along with documented evidence — your financial statements, employment records, tax returns and bank statements and other evidence that demonstrates how you can afford a modified loan under your present financial circumstances. Also send the lender a current appraisal of your home or otherwise document the current value of your home.

3. Deal directly with a representative of the lender’s “loss mitigation” or workout department– not a broker, loan originator or other mortgage staffer.

More help for homeowners can be found here: “Foreclosure Prevention Efforts Grow.

Source: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20081016_bailout.htm

President Bush signed a legislation that allows HUD’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to continue providing help for struggling homeowners with their mortgages. The Hope for Homeowners program, a.k.a “H4H,” allows FHA to continue it’s current efforts in providing assistance to struggling families with their mortgages which they cannot afford anymore.

This program allows certain borrowers who struggle with their current mortgage to refinance into affordable FHA-insured mortgages. This program has been implemented as of October 1, 2008.

Good news is that you don’t have to wait to find relief from this program. FHASecure, which is FHA’s existing refinancing program, can help homeowners determine whether or not they are eligible for this refinance right now. Here are several ways to obtain more information regarding this program:

1. Contact a local, HUD-approved housing counseling agency at HUD.gov;
2. Contact the HOPE NOW Alliance at (888) 995-HOPE; or
3. Call FHA at (800) CALL-FHA.

Hope for Homeowners requires that new loans needs to be based on a family’s long-term ability to repay the refinanced mortgage, and only owner-occupants are eligible for the FHA-insured mortgages. Borrowers must also meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Their mortgage must have originated on or before January 1, 2008;
• Their mortgage debt-to-income must be at least 31 percent;
• They cannot afford their current loan;
• They did not intentionally miss mortgage payments; and
• They do not own second homes.

Features of FHA-insured loans under the new program include:

• 30-year, fixed rate mortgage;
• Maximum 90 percent loan-to-value ratio;
• No prepayment penalties;
• $550,440 maximum mortgage amount;
• Extinguishment of any subordinate liens; and
• New home appraisals from FHA-approved appraisers.

Although this program is available for the current homeowner, FHA will continue to offer lenders the alternative option to foreclose on their borrowers. Also, similar to FHASecure’s recent additions, lenders are encouraged to write-down the outstanding mortgage principal balances to 90 percent of the new value of the property.

If we continue to slow down the foreclosures, this program supports FHA’s efforts to stabilizing our local housing markets.  According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, from September 2007 to June 2008, FHA has guaranteed more than $93 billion of mortgage capital.

FHA claims that they will insure up to $300 billion in new loans. Borrowers will end up pay an upfront premium of 3 percent of the original mortgage amount, and an annual premium of 1.5 percent of the outstanding mortgage amount. However, any other costs incurred by FHA can be reimbursed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The program will last from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2011. Since September 2007, FHASecure has helped more than 290,000 families obtain safer, more affordable mortgages. FHASecure hopes to help 500,000 families by the end of the year.

If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Do not opt out this program! Hope for Homeowners will help you ease the burden of your faulty mortgage in today’s economy.