It’s likely your current mortgage says your home is worth one amount but its really worth less, a lot less. These “upside-down” mortgages are happening a lot in today’s economy. So what do you do when your home isn’t worth as much as your paying and the economy no longer allows you the ability to pay? First you use the online resources you have, eater at home or a local library, to show the lenders your house is worth less then whats reflected on your mortgage balance. You can do this by comparing the price of similar sized houses in the same neighborhood as your house. You can also have an experienced mortgage attorney examine your loan documents to make sure everything is in order.

Writing a hardship letter is one of the hardest things to do in this process,but its also very important. If you need help with this you can use one of the mortgage modifications inexpensive services or research this before hand. It’s important that your hardship letter has a number of details that are essential to getting your mortgage modification approved. The home owner needs to include a completed life of loan history to see all the charges and fees you’ve attempted to or failed to pay. Also include inflation and/or loss of property values.

You’ll want to show them all your income and expenses. Your mortgage payment should not exceed 31% of your yearly income. If your spending more then that a mortgage modification is a good idea. Your expenses should be itemized and detailed. This list should include: your current mortgage payment, utility’s, food, if you are making payments on a car, your insurance, a 2nd mortgage, if you have one, and anything else you are currently paying on.

These Mortgage Modification Tips should help you understand some of the things you need to know when getting all your documentation together. Remember to do your research and find a mortgage modification company that’s right for you. This company will be able to help you better understand everything and make the process easier on you. You’ll also want to make sure you are as organized as possible be careful when itemizing your expenses and get accurate data on your income. Take into consideration how hard the hardship letter will be for you to right. Try to be in a place where you can be away from all the distractions in your life and think clearly when your writing.

For detailed facts and essential tips about how you can be approved for a mortgage modification, visit this simple, easy to understand loan modification guide and resource: http://HomeLoanModifications101.com

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The information below will help you better determine if you have been a victim of mortgage fraud or predatory lending.

Have You been a Victim of Mortgage Fraud?

* Have you been encouraged to falsify certain information on your loan application?
* Have you been asked to leave certain signature lines blank on a loan form?
* Has there been any alteration/s made to the information you supplied in your mortgage loan application?

Indications of Predatory Lending

Where you not given a copy of any of the following disclosure agreements?

* Good Faith Estimate
* Special Information Booklet
* Truth in Lending
* HUD-1 Settlement Statement

* Have you refinanced your mortgage several times? In each instance, has your monthly mortgage payment and/or total amount owed increased?
* Do any of your mortgage documents say that when your payments are late, your interest rate will change to accommodate “daily interest” that you need to pay?
* If you want to pay off or refinance your loan, are there any pre-payment penalties indicated?
* Is your loan amount higher than your home’s value?
* Do you have any unexpected costs in your settlement that were not discussed with you prior to the settlement?
* After the settlement, did you find your monthly mortgage payments to be higher than you anticipated based on the initial disclosures?
* After making a series of low payments to your loan, there is still a large lump sum or “balloon payment” due to your entire loan balance. Will you need to refinance thru another loan to pay that lump-sum?
* Were you encouraged or required to get credit life insurance? Insurance that will repay the debt in the event of a death or disability.

Note: Credit insurance is optional and should not be imposed to borrowers. You must decide carefully whether you are going to purchase credit insurance because it considerably affects the cost of the loan transaction.

MBA and its fellow supporters actively fight to control, if not eliminate, predatory lending. In fact, borrowers are being made aware that there is a Borrower’s Bill of Rights. This gives the borrowers some form of protection against predatory lenders.

Federal Predatory Lending Laws
The following are laws now in effect at the Federal Reserve that gives you rights on certain issues during the closing process:

Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act (RESPA)

This requires disclosure of mortgage processing transactions and other fees that could affect the cost of settlement services. It is a consumer protection statute, enforced by HUD, that aims to make consumers well-informed in the home buying process.

Truth in Lending Act (TILA)

Enacted under the Consumer Credit Protection Act in 1968, which requires creditors to disclose information to consumers in relation to why they are being charged, what for, and how much.

State Predatory Lending laws
Predatory lending laws can vary from state to state. Know the laws in your area that protects consumers against abusive lending practices like excessive fees and rates. High fees may compromise pre-payment penalties and credit life insurance.

List of fraudulent home loan modification practices
Desperate home owners would potentially jump to every opportunity to get a mortgage modification to avoid being kicked-out of their homes. It is not surprising, that over-promising practices will start to occur and loan modification companies will take advantage of homeowner’s vulnerability.

Your Guide To Detecting Loan Modification Fraud

* The “high-pressure, cash-up-front” type of sales business tactics. Be suspicious of pushy salesman and mortgage modification companies that require up front fees..
* Never pay a fee for housing counseling services.
* Never sign anything. Unless you are working directly with your mortgage company, do not sign anything, such as, a transfer of deed.
* Never submit mortgage payments other than to your mortgage company.

Be alert. Remember that the official place to go for mortgage modification services is the governments Making Home Affordable website. You can find information related to the mortgage modification process. In reality, fraud does not only occur in mortgage modifications. Oftentimes, it starts from the moment a borrower shops for a loan.

Learn more about Predatory Lending Laws & Get your Free Loan Modification Kit. This loan modification kit includes everything to Stop Foreclosure and Save Your Home with a loan modification. Includes Loan Modification Worksheets, Loan Modification Forms, detailed instructions, lender Rolodex, 50 bank specific forms, And Much More! Absolutely Free!

Visit our website for How to articles, mortgage calculators, free sample hardship letters, foreclosure timelines, and dozens of informative articles on loan modifications and foreclosure. Stop by to check out our growing library of free financial kits. We currently have bankruptcy kits, credit repair, and loan mod with more on their way!

FreeDIYkits
“Helping Homeowners Help Themselves”

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Negotiation

1. Before going for a mortgage modification, find out the status of your finances and fix an income which you can bring in each month. Know how much you spend on bills and where you can make some cost cutting. Some non-profit counseling services can help you with this and also guide you for a negotiation with your lender.

2. Consult with your lender regarding the loan modification requirements and inform your lender about your situation and how he or she can help you to overcome this.

3. Be ready with an answer against the lenders inquiries about your ability to repay the loan. It is better to submit an initial proposal to your lender.

4. Ask the lender for forbearance or to postpone payments for a couple of months until you recover your financial problems in case you encounter some dire circumstances in the future.

5. In case you possess an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) with higher monthly payments, ask your lender to switch your mortgage to a fixed rate mortgage and assure him or her about your ability to pay a fixed rate mortgage.

6. Documents required by the bank are: a letter documenting and explaining your hardship, proof of current income and capability to make modified loan payment, detailed monthly expense report or budget, etc.,

Benefits

The process of Loan Modification itself is designed to get the maximum benefits to borrowers and a few of them are as follows:

a) Status-quo on credit rating- this process does no harm to you.

b) You can avoid foreclosure and you are free to sell the home later

c) Terms of the loan are easily modified to work within borrower’s financial means.

d) Families are relaxed as they can stay in their homes with peace of mind and without fear of losing their home.

Mortgage Modifications are a must for those who have big debt, expect foreclosure at any time, or are in fear of losing their home. Hence, this program will be a blessing to any borrower who is struggling to make their monthly payments and constrained to lead a life of hardship in view of accelerating expenses and economic downturn.

For detailed information on How to Obtain a Mortgage Loan Modification, visit MortgageModificationTips.com

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Under this new legislation, homeowners can elect to refinance their existing mortgages. In the economy of today, many homeowners are struggling just to make ends meet once they have paid their monthly mortgage payments, which have oftentimes tripled in the case of some of the adjustable rate mortgages out there. And with fewer people being employed, major layoffs at big companies, and a higher cost of living, these same homeowners may be finding it more difficult to have their income be sufficient to meet the demands of huge mortgage payments and living expenses for their families. These homeowners have a unique opportunity to refinance to a fixed rate mortgage that they can afford while easing the threat of foreclosure or bankruptcy.

Are You Eligible For Mortgage Modification?

The problem with refinancing prior to this legislation is that many homeowners owed far more to their mortgage lender or bank than their homes and properties were even worth. Most lenders would not dare touch a mortgage under those circumstances. In fact, those homeowners who did not have at least twenty percent equity in their home would not qualify for this type of modification under the old rules. Fortunately, now homeowners have a bigger window to work with, as they can refinance as long as their mortgage amount is for no more than 105% of the current market value of the home. Additionally, all of the loan products that were written by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae (or one of their holdings) are eligible.

Affordable Mortgage Modification

The home affordability program makes certain that borrowers who refinance can truly afford their payments. No payment amount is approved that is more than thirty-one percent of the gross monthly income of the borrower. And because the interest rate on these new mortgage modifications can be as little as 4.5%, borrowers can see a huge savings over the course of mortgage repayment.

Online Mortgage Modification

Applying online for these types of government sponsored mortgage modifications is the easiest way to qualify fast and start saving now. Online lenders who are qualified to write these mortgage refinance loans have an easy to follow application process that allows you to do most of the paperwork over the Internet and to submit documentation via email or facsimile transmission. Online lenders can also tell you in advance how much your mortgage payment will be once it is modified under the terms of the Economic Recovery Act and your exact rate of interest, which allows you to have a better idea of whether you would benefit from the modification in the first place and in the long run. Online lenders are well-versed in writing mortgages with expedience, which can make a big difference for homeowners who are struggling and need relief now.

Kate Ross has a Master in Finance and has been a university teacher as well as a financial consultant for years. She specializes in Unsecured Loans and also in helping people to get approved for Guaranteed Loans for Bad Credit, home loans, guaranteed loans, bad credit auto loans, guaranteed credit cards among many other financial products. For further information, please visit SpeedyBadCreditLoans.com

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