The U. S. If you have a mortgage that is insured by the FHA but are having trouble making your payments, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may be able to assist you. This article will discuss HUD’s programs for homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments as a result of a job loss or other financial hardship related to COVID. If one of these programs is right for you, you might be able to keep your house and avoid foreclosure.
If you own a home and are having difficulty paying your mortgage, the U S. Programs from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may be able to assist. The programs offered by HUD are intended to prevent foreclosure for borrowers of government-backed FHA loans. This article will discuss HUD’s programs for homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments as a result of a job loss or other financial hardship related to COVID. If one of these programs is right for you, you might be able to keep your house and avoid foreclosure.
What Happens When Homeowners Get Behind on Their Mortgage Payments
Your mortgage company will give you a deadline to catch up on missed payments in order to prevent foreclosure if you fall behind on your mortgage payments. The mortgage company may foreclose on your home if you are unable to make up the missed payments or reach an agreement with your lender. In a foreclosure, your home is taken back by the bank or mortgage company, who then sells it to recoup their costs. Due to the fact that a mortgage places a lien on the property and enables the lender to seize the property if payments are made on time, your mortgage lender or loan servicer is legally permitted to take this action.
Judicial foreclosure and nonjudicial foreclosure by sale are the two types of foreclosure. When a home with a mortgage is sold with a judge’s approval, it is known as a “judicial foreclosure.” However, a property owner will have the opportunity to challenge a judicial foreclosure in court to stop it. Although every state allows for both types of foreclosure, in some states a bank can only foreclose on a property through a judicial foreclosure. In a nonjudicial foreclosure, lenders are not required to go through the court system, so this procedure is frequently much quicker.
HUD Programs To Avoid Foreclosure
HUD and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) have partnered to provide homeowners with more options for loss mitigation. These are initiatives to assist FHA-insured homeowners who are falling behind on their payments and prevent foreclosure. If a homeowner is not eligible for a COVID-19 National Emergency Standalone Partial Claim, the FHA uses a “waterfall method” to determine whether they are eligible to make up missed payments. We’ll discuss the partial claim process later.
The FHA moves homeowners along a waterfall of options using the waterfall process, which screens out homeowners who do not qualify under the COVID-19 standalone partial claim. Mortgage servicers want to get new mortgage payments from borrowers that they can afford.
A loan modification, forbearance agreement, repayment plan, and partial claim options are specific HUD programs that can help some homeowners stay in their homes. These programs have certain requirements. Don’t dismiss your eligibility without first considering consulting a HUD counselor for advice and learning about your options. You can also think about contacting your lender. No matter what course of action you take, it is always preferable to seek assistance than to ignore a foreclosure.
Consider looking into a mortgage forbearance agreement if you are unable to make your mortgage payments but still want to remain in your home. You and your lender might decide to temporarily lower or stop making your mortgage payments through a forbearance agreement. Your regular mortgage payments will resume when the agreement period expires.
A borrower with a mortgage repayment plan may request additional time to repay their mortgage loan if they are having a temporary financial crisis. People who are ineligible for other loss mitigation options or who don’t want to refinance their original loan can typically take advantage of repayment plans. With the help of this strategy, borrowers who are a few months behind on their mortgage payments can quickly restore good standing to their account.
You can request a loan modification if you’re struggling financially and are unable to keep up with your monthly payments under the terms of your current loan. By lowering your mortgage interest rate or extending the length of your loan, you can modify the original terms of your mortgage. This can help reduce your monthly payment.
You have a choice between handling the mortgage loan modification procedure by yourself or with assistance from a reliable business. But beware of scams. Additionally, the procedure can take some time because your lender needs to assess your financial situation.
A partial claim is an interest-free loan from HUD backed by the federal government that homeowners can use to bring their mortgage current and prevent foreclosure. To prevent a foreclosure, the HUD partial claim program pays the homeowner’s past-due mortgage payments to the lender. The funds come from FHA mortgage premiums.
Partial claims are secured by HUD through zero-interest promissory notes. A written promise to repay a debt is known as a promissory note. Up to 30% of the outstanding principal balance on your current mortgage may be covered by a partial claim. You will be responsible for paying back the partial claim if you sell or refinance your home following the granting of a partial claim.
Eligibility Requirements for Partial Claim Loans
Only those consumers who are unable to resume making their regular monthly mortgage payments may be eligible for a partial claim loan. Mortgage servicers can evaluate borrowers for a standalone partial claim. To be eligible for a partial claim the borrower-homeowner must:
Therefore, it would be wise to speak with your lender about your past-due mortgage payments. You risk losing your property if you don’t inquire with your lender about your options. You should also be aware that through the partial claim program, HUD may advance your lender up to 12 months’ worth of mortgage payments (including the principal, interest, taxes, and insurance).
It’s crucial to gather all of your financial documentation, including proof of income, a budget for financial hardship, debts, and bank statements to present to your lender. This will provide them with the data they require to carefully examine your financial situation and determine whether you are eligible for a partial claim. And it’s best to respond quickly if your lender requests additional documentation to review your request.
What Is a COVID-19 Partial Standalone Claim?
To assist homeowners affected by the pandemic, the FHA provides a COVID-19 National Emergency Standalone Partial Claim form. Only homeowners whose mortgages were current or less than 30 days past due as of March 1, 2020 are eligible for this option.
The COVID-19 Partial Standalone Claim and the HUD Partial Claim are not the same thing. Only 25% of a borrower’s outstanding principal balance may be claimed under the COVID-19 National Emergency Standalone Partial Claim. It places up to 25% of the mortgage’s outstanding principal balance in a separate, junior lien with all of a borrower’s past-due mortgage balances. Only when the house is sold or refinanced does the junior lien need to be paid off.
Borrowers who want to use the COVID-19 Standalone Partial Claim must be able to demonstrate to the FHA that they can resume making regular mortgage payments. The FHA must receive your income and spending data in order to assess your eligibility for this relief. This loan will alter the interest rate and terms of the current mortgage if the borrower meets program requirements and resides in the property.
There are still options available to you if you fall behind on your mortgage payments and are not eligible for the COVID-19 Standalone Partial Claim or the other programs we discussed earlier in the article. The FHA will determine whether you are eligible for mortgage relief under a COVID-19 Owner-Occupant Loan Modification if you do not qualify under the COVID-19 Standalone Partial Claim.
Additionally, a person may be eligible for the COVID-19 Combination Partial Claim and Loan Modification if they are ineligible for either program. With this loan modification, a portion of the outstanding principal balance up to 30% may be claimed. Any outstanding past-due sum is added to the loan via a mortgage modification.
Last but not least, homeowners who are ineligible for any of the partial claims and loan modification programs we’ve covered above can submit a COVID-19 FHA HAMP Combination Loan Modification and Partial Claim.
Fortunately, homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages who are having trouble making their payments have options available, especially in light of the COVID-19 National Emergency.
If you can’t pay your mortgage payments, act now before its too late. You may have options to save your home from foreclosure. Mortgage servicers backed by the FHA and the government must extend deferred or reduced mortgage payment options to help borrowers in financial crises. Be sure to speak with a qualified housing counselor to find out what affordable modification options are available in your situation.Written By:
Attorney Tori Bramble has been practicing bankruptcy law for more than 20 years. She has a Maryland and Virginia license to practice law and has assisted over 1,500 clients in Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings to get rid of thousands of dollars in debt. A New York native, Tori. read more about Attorney Tori Bramble.
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FAQ
Is a partial claim considered a loan modification?
A “partial claim” is a HUD interest-free loan to make up missed payments. The loan is deferred until the first mortgage is settled, such as when the house is sold. Partial claims are sometimes completed along with a loan modification.
Is a partial claim a second mortgage?
You will sign an interest-free promissory note for the claim amount if HUD approves your partial claim and pays your lender to avoid foreclosure. The loan is similar to a balloon payment that doesn’t need to be repaid for a while, or until the house is sold or refinanced. It’s basically a second mortgage.
Does a partial claim hurt your credit?
If you make late payments or continue to make untimely payments after a partial claim, it may damage your credit. In contrast to other loans, a partial claim application is likely to not harm your credit, and it is still better than a foreclosure or a string of late payments.
Can I refinance my house with a partial claim?
The HUD places a lien on the borrower’s property for the amount of the claim in order to pay an FHA partial claim. If the borrower sells or refinances the property, they are still obligated to pay back the partial claim. This is important to remember.