Dec 06 2007
Freezer burn: Do You Qualify for the Rate Freeze?
![[flowchrt-streamline-refi.gif]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-AV151_flowch_20071206162755.gif) |
| Source: Hope Now Alliance |
The ARM freeze plan presented by the Bush administration today should help some borrowers with their loans. Borrowers can call 1-800-HOPE-NOW (toll free) to receive counseling with mortgage problems. Once you, the borrower make contact the Hope Now Alliance will use a flowchart like the one above to determine if you qualify for the mortgage adjustment.
The plan is not designed to give handouts to folks, but to minimize the damage to the economy. Housing statistics are a major indicator of the health of the economy because the industry is intertwined with so many others. This plan is important to all of us whether or not we hold an adjustable rate mortgage because the “credit crunch” also affects the abilities of banks to lend to other institutions, such as businesses. If you are looking to borrow in the near future, and the bottom of the credit industry falls out, you can bet your bottom dollar higher interest rates will be charged to make up for the lost money in bad credit and foreclosures. Our first article on this issue can be found here, and our first follow up here.
Update: Seeing as how not everyone who is in a terrible mess with their mortgage will qualify for the rate freeze, there is another option available that would allow your to keep your home from going into foreclosure and save your credit as well.
[…] In a piece of not so nice news, Fannie Mae has begun to raise its fees. Freddie Mac may follow close behind. A 0.25% fee has been added to all new mortgages bought or guaranteed, due up front. This means an extra $1000 fee on a $400,000 home. Tough luck for those already feeling the credit crunch and looking to refinance before their ARM rates increase. […]
[…] will be. If you are in trouble, do something if you still can. Perhaps you qualify for the ARM rate freeze, perhaps not, but get talking to professionals who can look at your situation and offer some […]
We have an adjustable rate loan, with WAMU, and we were told by HOPE NOW, that the “Rate Freeze” program under President Bush, has been implemented, and that the group of banks which agreed to the program, which would include WAMU, should be offering this program to homeowners that qualify. But now, we are getting a different story from WAMU. They are NOT going with this program, so why are they MISLEADING HOMEOWNERS, by agreeing initially, and then backing out and opting to go with a LOAN ESCALLATION. This sounds to me like WAMU is LYING to homeowners. No one seems to know ANYTHING…… Hmmm. Does WAMU know that they serviced risky loans in the first place? It’s time for the big dogs to step up and WORK WITH HOMEOWNERS.
Laura - Washington State
WAMU are LIARS and thieves!!! -I fit EVERYTHING here, and WAMU said that THEY are not participating in this…But in “Loan Escalation” –They lie, they lie, oh how they lie.
They even lied to BUSH (Shhhh, Mr Bush is taking his nap)…Zzzzzzz…..
A larger problem with this issue is that even if you are able to refinance your home with good credit and income to get out of the arm the appraised values are coming in to low do to all the foreclosures and decline in market. Thus you are unable to refinance. This is another area of concern that I don’t hear anything on. What choices are left?
I read an interesting article a while back, which I can’t find now, but it in essence talked about how our housing problem is a lot smaller that we think it is if everyone bites a bit of the bullet.
Some one ought to set up a holding company for purchasing homes in danger of foreclosure because of the ARM adjustment thing. The company should rent the home to the current owner for a period of 3 years or so until the housing corrects itself and then sell the property back at purchase price plus 1.5%. It is explained somewhat more in this article: http://easyclickhomes.com/blog/foreclosure/alternative-to-foreclosure/50/
In essence, you’d be able to borrow with someone else’s credit for a while until you can get your feet under you. I assume this would be a risky business to own/ operate, but it would save a lot of people from losing their homes, which is in everyone’s best interest.
is it a hatred against us?
we pay, and pay and pay but nothing really goes to the principal, i guess they dont care if we lose our homes they just want the money.
There is another program and i do not remember the name of it
but is something about making 14G a month to qualify to a “help” from the government.. if we could make fourteen thousand dollars we’ll be able to pay our debts with no problem.
i guess the war left the nation in this situation and taxes and everything is going to the sky to pay off the war.