Federal Home Relief Program

Mortgage Loan Lookup Tool

Use the simple Fannie Mae Mortgage Loan Lookup Tool to find out if Fannie Mae owns your mortgage. If we own your loan, you may qualify for programs providing payment relief including a forbearance plan or loan modification.

Fannie Mae’s Disaster Response Network is another resource you can utilize. When you contact the Disaster Response Network, HUD-approved housing counselors can develop a personalized action plan, explain mortgage relief or rental assistance programs, provide financial coaching, and support your successful recovery for up to 18 months.

Why Refinance Second Mortgages

There are a number of reasons to refinance a second mortgage. Many times, they may be different than the reason used to refinance the first time.

Some borrowers may refinance for lower interest rates, especially if those rates are significantly lower than when they took out their second mortgage, or if their financial situation has improved. This is a common step taken by people with improved credit scores.

The types of second mortgages people may want to refinance for lower interest rates include:

• Piggyback Loan: This is a home equity loan or line of credit that is made at the same time as your main mortgage. It allows borrowers with low down-payment savings to acquire loans for more funds to lower their loan-to-value ratio and to qualify for a mortgage without paying private mortgage insurance .
• Home equity line of credit : This is essentially a revolving source of funds that you can access as you choose. HELOCs usually include a withdrawal period, where you can access as little or as much of your available funds as you want, followed by a repayment period that requires you to pay back the principal, plus interest.
• Home equity loan: This is a loan in which you use your home equity as collateral. It comes as a lump sum of cash.

The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program

In March 2021, the United States Treasurys Homeowners Assistance Fund was established under Section 3206 of the American Rescue Plan Act to help mitigate financial hardships associated with the coronavirus pandemic by providing funds to eligible entities. In October 2021, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, through its Division of Housing, established the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program to disburse the State of Colorados allocation of federal funds.

How Can Colorado Homeowners Utilize this Program?

The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program is designed to help eligible Colorado homeowners keep their homes by assisting with:

• Mortgage delinquencies
• Individuals who have gone through loss mitigation after forbearance
• Loss of utilities or home energy services and
• Displacements of homeowners experiencing financial hardship after January 21, 2020.

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Is There A Mortgage Relief Program In 2022

With the impact of Covid waning, Congress has wound down much of its Covid-era mortgage stimulus.

Fortunately, there are still mortgage relief programs available to homeowners who need them.

Mortgage relief can come in many forms. Whether you need a lower rate and payment or a break from making payments altogether, there are options. Heres what to do.

In this article

• Do you qualify?

Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The Emergency Rental Assistance program provides funding to help renters who are unable to pay rent or utilities. The funds are provided directly to states, U.S. territories, local governments, American Indian tribes, Tribally Designated Housing Entities, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. These entities may use ERA funds to provide assistance through existing or newly created rental assistance programs.

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What Is A Mortgage Relief Refinance

When most people think of government or Congress mortgage relief, theyre thinking of HARP the Home Affordable Refinance Program. HARP was a government program rolled out by the Federal Housing Finance Agency in 2009. For nine years, it helped millions of homeowners refinance after being hard hit by the housing crisis.

The HARP program ended in 2018. And similar programs, including Fannie Maes HIRO and Freddie Macs Enhanced Relief Refinance, were also discontinued.

The reason? Home values have been rising dramatically.

Property values shot up at a record rate in 2020 and 2021. As a result, homeowners nationwide saw their equity levels increase. And the number of underwater borrowers shrunk to just 2% of the market.

There are still programs available to help homeowners with little or no equity, including 97% LTV refinancing from Fannie and Freddie and Streamline Refinancing from FHA, VA, and USDA. However, fewer and fewer homeowners need these programs.

Today, the focus is on helping homeowners who were impacted by Covid-19 lower their mortgage payments.

Heres What To Know About Bidens Student Debt Relief Plan After Federal Court Blocks Program Again

Now that a second federal judge blocked President Bidens student debt relief plan last week, the estimated 43 million low- and middle-income borrowers who would qualify for the program are once again unsure whether they will ever get any relief at all.

The fate of the plan which would forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who need it most, according to the White House has faced several legal challenges since Biden announced it in late August, fulfilling a promise he made during the 2020 presidential campaign.

However, Thursdays ruling by District Court Judge Mark Pittman, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, has led the Education Department to stop accepting any new applications to the program while it appeals the decision.

If you are one of the 26 million borrowers who have already applied or one of the 17 million who hadnt gotten around to it yet heres what you should know:

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How To Refinance Second Mortgages

Refinancing a second mortgage requires almost the same steps as refinancing the first mortgage. In most cases, youll have to wait at least 12 months from when you were approved for the second mortgage before refinancing it. Most lenders also require you to have at least 20% equity in your home. If you plan to refinance with a different lender, you may want to check with the lender who holds your second mortgage before pursuing refinancing.

It may be slightly more difficult to find a lender, as refinancing second mortgages carries more risk for the lender. If for any reason your house is foreclosed, the second lender only gets whats left over after the first lender is paid off. Nonetheless, if you have good credit, a stable income, and youve made your mortgage payments on time, you should be able to find a lender willing to help you refinance your second mortgage.

Before considering refinancing any mortgage, you should do your research, speak with your financial advisor, and calculate whether youll benefit financially by refinancing. Depending on the fees, the cost of refinancing a second mortgage may outweigh the benefits.

Once youve decided that refinancing your second mortgage is the right choice, figure out if you would qualify for favorable interest rates by checking your credit score and assessing your financial situation. Your lender may look at your other debts, so determine your debt-to-income ratio.

Foreclosure Help In Georgia

No one wants to be faced with foreclosure, but sometimes circumstances do not play out favorably, and you end up with a foreclosure notice in your hand. Any time you default on a home loan payment in the Peach State, the lender may begin a foreclosure process. Although you can expect the process to be nonjudicialdoes not require the court systemthere are instances where judicial foreclosures are plausible.

Stopping foreclosure in Georgia begins with understanding Georgia foreclosure laws and options available to homeowners. Lets have a look at some facts about Georgia, including foreclosure statistics and resources to get you back on track.

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I Havent Applied Yet Can I Still Do It

Borrowers who havent yet applied for debt relief will need to wait while the administration challenges the recent ruling shutting down the program. Courts have issued orders blocking our student debt relief program, the Education Department said on its federal student aid website. As a result, at this time, we are not accepting applications. We are seeking to overturn those orders.

New Biden Legislation Offers Homeowners Additional Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

The Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act directed lenders holding federally backed single-family mortgages to suspend borrowers payments for up to a maximum of 360 days if they experienced financial hardship due to the coronavirus outbreak. Similar but shorter forbearance was available to owners of multifamily units with federally backed mortgages.

Subsequent legislation, including the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, as well as presidential executive actions, have resulted in additional mortgage relief in the wake of the 2020 financial crisis.

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Take Advantage Of Historically Low Interest Rates With Refinance Relief Programs

These new programs are important because mortgage rates have plunged in the last 18 months. The 30-year-fixed mortgage rate hit its lowest level ever in early January 2021, bottoming out at 2.65%.

Even as of October 2021, 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates hovered just below or slightly above 3%.

Todays Mortgage Interest Rates: September 8, 2022

Copyright 2022 Freddie Mac. Averages are based on conforming mortgages with 20% down.

Homeowners with home values that were too low relative to their mortgage balances were barred from taking advantage of these historically low interest rates and from the substantial monthly savings that came with them.

Thats where HIRO and FMERR come in. Both programs allowed homeowners to refinance their Fannie or Freddie mortgages, even if their homes were underwater, or higher than their homes market value. Though these relief programs are currently paused, many homeowners are finding they can still refinance to a lower payment thanks to rising equity and low interest rates.

Mortgage Relief Options From Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac

Homeowners with conforming loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac have options for mortgage relief.

If youre experiencing a temporary hardship, its not too late to ask about forbearance. Theres currently no deadline to make an initial forbearance request with your loan servicer.

If you have a conventional loan, theres currently no deadline to make an initial forbearance request with your loan servicer.

In addition, Fannie and Freddie recently came out with expanded refi programs that make it easier and cheaper to lower your interest rate and mortgage payment.

Fannie Maes RefiNow and Freddie Macs Refi Possible are designed for low- to moderate-income homeowners. You might qualify if you make average or below-average income for your area.

These refinance programs have unique benefits that can offer financial relief to homeowners, including:

• Lower mortgage rate and monthly payment
• Reduced closing costs with no appraisal fee
• Easier debt-to-income qualification

These new loan options can offer big savings for homeowners who might not otherwise qualify to refinance.

You can check your areas median income using Fannie Maes lookup tool and Freddie Macs lookup tool.

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How Homeowner Assistance Funding Works

Treasury is authorized under the American Rescue Plan to provide a HAF award to:

• Tribes or their TDHEs
• Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

HAF programs distribute assistance to eligible homeowners to cover qualified expenses related to mortgages and housing.

Depending on the program, homeowners may use the HAF assistance for expenses such as, mortgage payments , property taxes, homeowners insurance, homeowners association fees, utilities , internet service, and certain home repairs.

Find out more information about how HAF programs work on the interagency housing portal hosted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau .

Is There Congress Mortgage Stimulus Or Covid

Although theres no current mortgage stimulus from Congress, there is federal help available for homeowners.

When President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law in March 2021, it famously included stimulus checks to nearly all households. It also provided special financial assistance for homeowners who were or are struggling financially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Homeowner Assistance Fund is intended to help with your monthly mortgage payments and with property taxes, homeowners insurance, homeowners association fees and utility bills.

Although these are federal funds, theyve been sent out to states to administer. For help, you apply to your states housing finance agency. Locate your states agency and contact information with this lookup tool.

There are some eligibility requirements for these funds. To qualify, your mortgage balance must be $548,250 or less, and most of the funds are designated for borrowers with average or below-average incomes.

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Financial Help For Homeowners And Landlords

Forbearance is not the same as forgiveness. Forbearance only puts off the inevitable day when paused payments must be made up. Programs funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provide financial assistance to homeowners and landlords under two programs: the Homeowner Assistance Fund and the Emergency Rental Assistance program.

I Already Applied For The Program What Happens To My Information

The office says it will hold the applications of the 26 million people who already sent in their information. Among those, 16 million applications have already been approved and sent to loan servicers to be discharged when allowed by the courts, according to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. The office urges borrowers to keep checking its website for updates.

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How Will The Education Department Handle Student Loans

All told, the changes made to the departments current student loan relief programs has meant tens of billions in discharged debt, though that is only a fraction of the hundreds of billions that could be canceled as part of the presidents broad one-time loan forgiveness plan. The regulatory changes are likely to last longer and be available to borrowers who may not benefit from one-time debt relief, including future students.

Some changes, like the Public Service waiver, are possible thanks to the 2003 Heroes Act, which allows the Education Secretary to modify student loan payment requirements during national emergencies.

But the forward-looking policy changes emerged via a complicated process known as negotiated rulemaking. Its a lengthy ordeal that requires months of public comments and discussions from groups that may be affected by the rules. And the Education Department is required to craft its rules around student loans via this approach.

Sattelmeyer said when Congress passes laws, it cant account for every permutation of what that law looks like. Negotiated rulemaking, though, allows federal agencies to interpret the intentions of lawmakers.

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A more permanent change to how borrowers repay their student loans would require an act of Congress, but with Republicans poised to win the House, and possibly the Senate, that day is likely years away.

Us Department Of The Treasury

• U.S. Treasury Issues Iran General License D-2 to Increase Support for Internet FreedomSeptember 22, 2022Treasury Sanctions Irans Morality Police and Senior Security Officials for Violence Against Protesters and the Death of Mahsa AminiSeptember 21, 2022Remarks by Under Secretary for Domestic Finance Nellie Liang at the Brookings InstitutionSeptember 22, 2022Remarks by Under Secretary for Domestic Finance Nellie Liang at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Associations Prudential and Capital Board SubcommitteeSeptember 20, 2022 Today, Treasury published three reports on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets. The reports addres https://t.co/QDYaq3khzz Thu, 09/15/2022 – 10:42

Looking for homeowner assistance?

Homeowners can find out what homeowner assistance covers, how it works, and whos eligible on the interagency housing portal hosted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau .

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Pros And Cons Of Refinancing

Like with any loan, there are some pros and cons when it comes to an FHA cash-out refinance. This type of loan may benefit some, but it could be the wrong option for others.

Pros:

• Using an FHA cash-out refinance, your home equity can be turned into cash that can be used to put you in a competitive financial position.
• An FHA cash-out refinance is a great option if you plan to reinvest it into your home by doing renovations or making improvements.
• It can be a great way to consolidate your high-interest debts, such as credit card debt, student debt, or car loans.

• Since FHA cash-out refinance requirements are more lenient than those of conventional loans, FHA loans are more accessible, especially to those with low credit. The official minimum credit score to qualify for an FHA cash-out refinance is 500. However, be aware that lenders may look for a higher credit score. These loans also provide a higher maximum LTV than conventional loans.
• FHA loans are assumable, meaning that they can be transferred from an existing owner to another buyer after evaluation by the lender.

Cons:

Learn Your Options & Get A Start Fresh

Hundreds of homeowners visit our website daily looking for foreclosure help or mortgage relief options. Homeowners need answers to their problems quickly, so they can decide what is best for their situation.

After submitting information above or calling you will receive an evaluation from our partners outlining options that may protect your home or lower your payment and rate in some cases. Below are a few options, which may help homeowners in distress or facing a financial hardship. If you are behind on your mortgage or facing default please call us directly at .

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