Mortgages

 

Basic information on government resources for obtaining mortgages and advice to avoid foreclosure.

If you've been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and you own a single-family home with a federally backed or FHA-insured mortgage, you can apply for a mortgage forbearance, a pause in payments of the mortgage.

Learn the steps and questions to ask your lender to grant you mortgage forbearance.

Deadlines for Federally Endorsed Foreclosures

1. Lenders and loan servicers cannot foreclose on federally backed loans (HUD / FHA, VA or USDA) until after June 31, 2021.
2. Lenders cannot foreclose on loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac until after March 31, 2021.

What Your Loan Servicer Should Do If You Request Forbearance

If you are having trouble making your federally backed mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, contact your home loan servicer by February 28, 2021. The loan servicer must:

Postpone or reduce your payments for six months (180 days) if you contact the administrator to make the necessary arrangements.

Give you another six months (180 days) of mortgage relief if you request it.

Offer you different options to pay off your debt for late or reduced payments. Your servicer will discuss these options with you at the end of the forbearance period.

Find out which company owns your home loan

If you don't know if your mortgage is backed by the federal government, find out who owns your mortgage. You can also check Loan Search and Loan Search to find out if either owns or backs your mortgage.

FHA home loans and HUD homes

If you want to buy a home, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers two programs that in some cases can make the process more affordable.

FHA loans

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) operates the FHA loan program. If you are buying your first home, this may be the right mortgage for you because the requirements are not as strict as those for other loans.

¿Am i eligible?

Before submitting your application, determine how much your down payment, closing costs, and your credit score are:

The initial cash payment can be as low as 3.5% of the total purchase price.

A very high credit score is not required.

Closing costs may be partially covered or less than other loans.

¿How do I apply?

The FHA does not give loans directly to applicants. Provides mortgage insurance to approved lenders to protect them in the event the homeowner defaults on loan payments.

Find an FHA approved bank or lender to apply for an FHA loan.

Find loans to buy manufactured mobile homes.

Find more information on FHA loans.

¿How to make a complaint?

If you have a complaint related to an FHA loan program, contact the FHA Resource Center.

andres22882288@gmail.com

HUD Homes

When a person is unable to make payments on an FHA insured mortgage, then HUD becomes a homeowner because HUD administers the FHA loan program. These properties are known as HUD homes or HUD foreclosed property (REO).

¿Am i eligible?

Your eligibility to buy a HUD home depends on your credit score, your ability to get a mortgage, and the amount of money you have to make the initial deposit. You can also use an FHA insured mortgage to buy a HUD home.

¿How do I apply?

Find listings of HUD homes for sale on the HUDHomestore page. Press the button "Find an agent" to find agents who will give you information about the property.

¿Where do I call for additional help?

If you have questions or need more information about FHA loans or HUD homes, email or call the FHA Help Center

¿Foreclosure?

If you miss your mortgage payments, you could risk losing your home. This process is called foreclosure or "foreclosure." Through this measure, the bank or credit agency can evict you from your home and sell it.

If you start working with your credit bureau on time, even if you are having trouble paying your mortgage, you could avoid foreclosure.

¿Steps to avoid foreclosure?

Do not ignore communications from your bank or credit bureau. If you are having trouble making your payments, call or write your credit bureau right away. Be prepared to explain your financial situation, including information about your monthly income and expenses. With this information, they can help you create a payment plan.

Stay in your home. You may not be eligible for help if you leave your property.

Contact a housing counseling agency approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Advice from government agencies to keep your mortgage and your home

If you are having trouble paying your mortgage, there are a number of resources available to help you.

Contact the financial institution in charge of your loan

Explain your situation and your difficulties in paying.

If the lender knows your situation, they can help you reinstate the mortgage with new conditions so that you can meet the corresponding payments.

Seek help from mortgage experts

Experts can help you consider possible solutions and alternatives for managing your mortgage, such as reinstating your mortgage, a plan to make late payments, suspending or reducing payments temporarily ("forbearance"), or modifying your loan. .

You can use the following resources which include:

Access the benefits of the Towards Affordable Housing (MHA) program.

Contact your state housing finance authority or the public housing agency in your area. These agencies may have information about state homeowners assistance programs, as well as referrals to other local resources.

Contact a housing counselor approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to understand your loan and its financial challenges.

If you are a veteran, you can contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to inquire about their assistance programs.

Housing counseling agencies approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offer information and help to avoid foreclosure. These agencies are located throughout the country, and although specific services vary from agency to agency, they generally provide the following assistance:

General counseling on housing matters

Evaluation of the situation of each person or family

Help to avoid foreclosure

Guidance for refinancing a mortgage through government programs

Advice to negotiate with a lender

HUD-approved agencies cannot charge for services related to foreclosure prevention. However, they can charge a reasonable sum for other services such as general housing education and counseling before and after the purchase, among others.

How to Prepare for a HUD-Approved Counselor Consultation

Consumers who want to speak with a representative from an approved agency do not have to wait to be in the foreclosure process. If you anticipate problems paying your mortgage, it is better to speak with a counselor rather than wait for the situation to get worse. To get the most out of your consultation, it is important to be prepared with certain financial information:

Monthly family income and expenses

Amount of monthly mortgage payment

Latest mortgage statement

Correspondence with the lender about late mortgage payments

In addition, consumers are advised to get an idea of what they want to achieve with the help of the agency: keep their house, sell it, refinance the debt, etc. Learn in detail what to expect when contacting a housing expert and what to consider before calling.

Tips for working with a non-HUD approved agency

Consumers who choose to work with unapproved agencies are advised to take certain precautions:

Don't pay for foreclosure counseling services. HUD-approved agencies provide these services for free.

Resist any pressure to sign documents without having enough time to read them.

Do not transfer the deed or title to the property to another person or organization.

Failure to pay monthly mortgage payments to organizations other than the lender that granted the mortgage or an organization approved by it.