Late Mortgage Payments Down Significantly
Equifax’s June edition of its National Consumer Credit Trends Report shows a sharp decline in the number of delinquent mortgage balances.
FHA Streamline Loan Requirements
If you have an existing FHA loan on your primary residence and a fairly good credit score, you may be able to take advantage of the FHA Streamlined Refinancing Program, which eliminates many of the complex steps involved in a typical FHA refinance. No appraisal is required as long as the borrower reduces their payment by 5 percent, which has caused many to liken this program to the HARP 2.0 program.
Key requirements of the FHA Streamlined Program include the following:
- Your original FHA loan must have been taken prior to 2009.
- You must have made payments on time for at least one year and must be current on your payments at the time of application.
- Your lender must be FHA approved.
- You must have owned the property for at least 6 months prior to refinancing.
- You will be limited to the amount of your original loan unless you pay for a new appraisal to show that the home value has increased.
Home Ownership On Decline
A big part of the American dream is slipping away as owning a home becomes more elusive for people across the country. According to a Bloomberg article, home ownership has fallen to its lowest level since 1997.
New Rules Aim To Help Borrowers Avoid Foreclosure
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposed rules would require mortgage servicers to give all borrowers standardized monthly statements, warn borrowers about interest rate or insurance changes, improve record-keeping, and give borrowers options to avoid losing their homes
The agency said it will formally propose the rules this summer and finalize them by January 2013. Read more…