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Plan to Offset Foreclosures Wrong for Changing Mortgage Crisis

By: JD Evans Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Even with loan modification programs now in place, the Obama administration's housing-rescue efforts are increasingly ill-suited to address the changing nature of the foreclosure crisis, according to a report released by a watchdog panel. The report, from a bipartisan panel was created to oversee the government's $700 billion financial bailout. This report concluded that the financial bailout plan isn't set up to help the true foreclosure causes: borrowers with good credit who have lost their jobs and those with complex mortgage.
Under the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP, eligible borrowers who are behind on their mortgage payments can reduce their monthly payments. A similar program allows eligible borrowers to refinance their home loan if they have little or no equity in their home. But modifying loans for unemployed borrowers who are unable to afford even reduced payments will likely lead to higher default rates in the future.

The report was released one day after the Obama administration said it had met a key benchmark for the housing-rescue program by offering trial loan modifications to half of a million homeowners. HAMP The report stated that Obama's housing program is modeled around the housing crisis as it existed six months ago, rather than it's current state. Even trial loan modifications might not lead to a permanent fix, and the homeowners who do receive a permanent mortgage modification will see payments rise after five years. This will likely lead to a foreclosure delay rather than prevention.
Up to this point, foreclosure efforts have focused on subprime adjustable-rate mortgages and other risky loans that were becoming delinquent as interest rates adjusted, making loans unaffordable. By reducing the interest rate or extending the loan over a longer term, more borrowers might be able to make monthly payments. The current wave of defaults is being driven by borrowers with good credit who have lost their jobs and can not afford to make any mortgage payments. Another category of troubled borrowers have complex home loans that can't be easily modified without writing down the loan balance, which mortgage companies have been reluctant to do.
There has been some motion generated by this report. The oversight panel, which approved the report on a 3-2 vote, called for the administration to update the strategy to address this new wave of troubled borrowers. The Treasury Department said that they are searching out ways to aide unemployed homeowners. Senate Democrats introduced a bill to offer federal funds for states to offer unemployed homeowners mortgage assistance. Policy makers are also toying with the idea of allowing lenders to lower payments beyond the requirements of the HAMP program for unemployed homeowners. Most loan modifications have not included writing down loan balances, which some analysts believe would facilitate more successful modifications.

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