Comprehensive List of Mortgage Assistance Programs

It seems like every week the government is announcing a new program to help homeowners. To make sense of all of these programs, we've pulled them together and listed them below. If you are having trouble with your mortgage, or can't refinance your house, hopefully one of the programs on the list will provide you with some assistance.

Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP)

HAMP is designed for homeowners who are still employed but are struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments. The program can lower your monthly mortgage payments to 31 percent of your verified monthly gross pre-tax income. This can often save a homeowner hundreds of dollars per month. You are eligible if:

• You occupy the house as your primary residence.
• You obtained your mortgage on or before January 1, 2009.
• You have a mortgage payment that is more than 31 percent of your monthly gross (pre-tax) income.
• You owe up to $729,750 on your home.
• You have a financial hardship and are either delinquent or in danger of falling behind.
• You have sufficient, documented income to support the modified payment.
• You must not have been convicted within the last 10 years of felony larceny, theft, fraud or forgery, money laundering or tax evasion, in connection with a mortgage or real estate transaction.

The program is offered through your mortgage servicer, so you'll need to contact them. If they do not provide the program, or don't feel you qualify, ask them what other options they have for you.

Pricipal Reduction Alternative ( PRA)

If you owe significantly more on your home than what it is now worth, PRA is designed to help you by encouraging mortgage servicers and investors to reduce the princpal you owe on the house.

You may be eligible if:

• Your mortgage is not owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
• You owe more than your home is worth.
• You occupy the house as your primary residence.
• You obtained your mortgage on or before January 1, 2009.
• Your mortgage payment is more than 31 percent of your gross (pre-tax) monthly income.
• You owe up to $729,750 on your 1st mortgage.
• You have a financial hardship and are either delinquent or in danger of falling behind.
• You have sufficient, documented income to support the modified payment.
• You must not have been convicted within the last 10 years of felony larceny, theft, fraud or forgery, money laundering or tax evasion, in connection with a mortgage or real estate transaction.

Note that the eligibility above is just a guideline. You will need to contact your individual servicer for more information. A list of participating servicers can be found here.

Second Lien Modification Program (2MP)

This program is designed for homeowners who had a first mortgage modified by HAMP and have a second mortgage. This second mortgage may also be eligible to be modified. The program works in tandem with HAMP to help homeowners who purchased a home using a first and second mortgage.

You may be eligible for 2MP if you meet all of the following criteria:

• Your first mortgage was modified under HAMP.
• You must not have been convicted within the last 10 years of felony larceny, theft, fraud or forgery, money laundering or tax evasion, in connection with a mortgage or real estate transaction.
• You have not missed three consecutive monthly payments on your HAMP modification.

FHA, VA, USDA Home Affordable Modification Program (FHA-VA-USDA-HAMP)

This program helps homeowners whose mortgages are insured by the FHA or the VA take advantage of the HAMP program. To find out more, contact the respective government agency.

Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP)

If you are not behind on your mortgage but your house is underwater and you can't refinance, this program may be for you. HARP is designed to help you refinance your mortgage into a lower rate.

You may be eligible for HARP if you meet all of the following criteria:

• The mortgage must be owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae.
• The mortgage must have been sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or before May 31, 2009.
• The mortgage cannot have been refinanced under HARP previously unless it is a Fannie Mae loan that was refinanced under HARP from March-May, 2009.
• The current loan-to-value (LTV) ratio must be greater than 80%.
• The borrower must be current on the mortgage at the time of the refinance, with a good payment history in the past 12 months.

Contact your mortgage servicer to see if they participate and if you qualify. You can also contact Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to see if you qualify.

FHA Refinance for Borrowers with Negative Equity (FHA Short Refinance)

For those homeowners not behind on their mortgage but who owe more than their homes are worth, FHA Refinance is another program. FHA Short Refinance is designed to also help homeowners refinance into a lower rate, more stable mortgage. If the lender agrees to refinance your mortgage, they will be required to reduce the amount you owe on your mortgage to no more than 97.75 percent of your home's current value.

You may be eligible for FHA Short Refinance if you meet the following criteria:

• Your mortgage is not owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA or USDA.
• You owe more than your home is worth.
• You are current on your mortgage payments.
• You occupy the house as your primary residence.
• You are eligible for the new loan under standard FHA underwriting requirements.
• Your total debt does not exceed 55 percent of your monthly gross income.
• You must not have been convicted within the last 10 years of felony larceny, theft, fraud, forgery, money laundering or tax evasion in connection with a mortgage or real estate transaction.

To find out if you can use this program, contact your mortgage servicer and find out if the participate in the program.

The Responsible Homeowner Reward Program

This private program is designed to reward homeowners who stay, or become current on their mortgage. In place of reducing the principal on a mortgage, servicers that participate in this program will provide cash bonuses if a homeowner meets certain agreed-to milestones. While each mortgage company determines the terms and conditions of their programs, below is the general outline:

• The homeowner is awarded an initial RH Reward amount.
• The homeowner makes full and timely mortgage payments, keeping their RH Reward status active.
• For a period of time following registration, an additional amount of money will be added to the initial RH Reward amount for each month the homeowner maintains active status.
• Once the mortgage balance is paid in full – either by selling the home, refinancing, or by paying off the mortgage – the homeowner is paid the entire RH Reward.
• Going forward, if the homeowner becomes delinquent more than once in any 12 month period, they risk forfeiting their entire RH Reward.

From a servicer perspective, the goal is to reward good behavior (paying off a mortgage), and discouraging bad (strategic default). To do this, the servicers reduce the amount of the loan but instead of taking it off the mortgage, pay it out as an incentive.

To find out if you can take advantage of this program, contact your lender.

Learn More.

$25 Billion Landmark Mortgage Settlement

This agreement between the Federal Government, 49 of the States' Attorney Generals, and five of the biggest mortgage lenders (Bank of America, Ally Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Citicorp, and Wells Fargo), provided a mechanism for these banks to provide foreclosure relief. The settlement is intended to benefit homeowners who are underwater with their mortgages or having difficulty making payments. While the terms are still being worked out, three classes of homeowners stand to benefit in the future. They are:

• Homeowners needing loan modifications now, including first and second lien principal reduction. The servicers are required to work off up to $17 billion in principal reduction and other forms of loan modification relief nationwide.State attorneys general anticipate the settlement’s requirement for principal reduction will show other lenders that principal reduction is one effective tool in combating foreclosure and that it will not lead to widespread defaults by borrowers who really can afford to pay.
• Borrowers who are current, but underwater. Borrowers will be able to refinance at today’s historically low interest rates. Servicers will have to provide up to $3 billion in refinancing relief nationwide.
• Borrowers who lost their homes to foreclosure with no requirement to prove financial harm and without having to release private claims against the servicers or the right to participate in the OCC review process. $1.5 billion will be distributed nationwide to some 750,000 borrowers.

Unfortunately, it's still not clear who will benefit from this settlment as the details are still being determined. We'll post more information as it becomes available. Visit the settlement webpage.

If you know of any other helpful programs for homeowners, please tell us and we'll be sure to add them to the list.