NEWS    RECALLS    COMPLAINT FORM    SCAM ALERTS   RESOURCES  
Small Claims Guide   Class Actions   Lemon Laws   FAQ   Newsletters  


Complain about a product or service

Automotive    Education    Employment    Electronics    Family    Finance    Health    Homeowners    Pets    Shopping    Travel   



NEWS   Latest |  Archives |  Auto |  Cells, etc. |  Computers |  Financial |  Health |  Homeowners |  Parents |  Privacy |  Scams |  Seniors |  Travel

FHA Say It Will Loosen Some Lending Rules

New rules may help some homeowners avoid foreclosure





April 9, 2008

Mortgage Crisis? Act Now to Avoid Foreclosure
Avoiding Foreclosure Takes More Than Hope
---
Home Prices Fall, But News Is Less Bad For Homeowners
Marketing Analysis Suggests Housing Bottom
Mortgage Rates Dip As Inflation Fears Ease
Have Mortgage Rates Hit Bottom?
Ex-Countrywide CEO Faces Fraud Charges
Pending Home Sales Surge in April
Foreclosure Starts Hit 1 Million For the Year
Mortgage Delinquencies At Record High
Existing Home Sales Rise in April
U.S. Home Values Now 32 Percent Below Their Peak
Bankruptcy Not Helping People Keep Their Homes
Home Values Plunge 14 Percent In First Quarter
One In Five Homeowners Underwater
Pending Home Sales Turn Around In March
Senate Defeats Mortgage 'Cram Down' Bill
Mortgage Rates Keep Falling
Home Sales Fall in March
Home Prices Show Surprising Gain in February
Foreclosures Up 9% in First Quarter
Southern California Home Sales Up Again in March
Mortgage Applications Rise Sharply
Obama Administration Targets Mortgage Fraud
Homeowners Still Behind On Modified Mortgages
Consumers Fall Further Behind on Loan Payments
Pending Home Sales Show Some Life
Home Prices Down To 2003 Levels in January
Fed Action Spurs Refinance Frenzy
Existing Home Sales Jump Five Percent in One Month
California Authorities Arrest "Loan Modification" Scam Artists
Southern California Home Sales Up Again
Loan Modifications Can Reduce Foreclosures, Study Says
Scammers Use Forged Bank Letterhead to Con California Consumers
Foreclosure Activity Up Six Percent in February
States Battle Feds To Enforce Lending Laws
Mortgage Delinquencies Continue to Climb
Obama Begins Mortgage Rescue Program
One Of Five U.S. Mortgages Under Water
Florida Court Blocks Loan Modification Company's Fees
---
More ...

The U.S. Federal Housing Administration says it's taking additional steps to help homeowners facing foreclosure stay in their homes. FHA Director Brian Montgomery has told Congress his agency is loosening some of its rules to head off what some see as a looming disaster.

Testifying before the House Committee on Financial Services, chaired by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Montgomery said FHA will permit and encourage lenders to voluntarily write down some of the principal on home loans, to make it easier to refinance.

Frank and other Congressional Democrats have backed legislation that would allow bankruptcy judges to take that action, without consent from the lenders. In his appearance before Frank's committee, Montgomery said the FHA would also help homeowners with subprime loans transition to FHA loans, where possible.

"FHA will now back loans for borrowers who are financially capable, but who have a spotty credit record," Montgomery said. "To qualify for a standard 97 percent LTV loan, borrowers will still be eligible if they were late on two monthly mortgage payments, either consecutively or at two different times over the previous twelve months."

For borrowers who can't meet that standard, Montgomery said FHA will permit up to three months of delinquency. But in those cases, he said, FHA will limit the LTV ratio for these borrowers to 90 percent.

"We will permit and encourage lenders to voluntarily write down outstanding principal," he said. "Lenders will also be allowed to make other arrangements, including new subordinate liens, to fill the gap between an existing loan balance and the new loan amount, be it a 97 percent or a 90 percent LTV loan.

He also said the administration strongly opposes a proposed $10 billion in loans and grants for the purchase and rehabilitation of vacant, foreclosed homes.

The plan was advanced as a way to prevent real estate values from falling further, but Montgomery maintains the principal beneficiaries of this type of plan would be private lenders, who are now the owners of the vacant or foreclosed properties.

He also said his agency does not support proposals to create a system where lenders would have an opportunity to sell bad loans to FHA through an auction process, clearinghouse, or some other wholesale mechanism.



Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.



Asterpix

CONSUMER NEWS

SAFETY RECALLS

PRINT, ETC.

Print This

Email This


FREE CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS

The Daily Consumer
Afternoons M-F

Sign up now!


Consumer News & Alerts
Every Sunday

Sign up now!

MOST-VIEWED PAGES

NEW COMPLAINTS

Hey there! ConsumerAffairs.com is using Twitter.
Twitter is a free service that lets you keep in touch throughout the day. Join today to start receiving ConsumerAffairs.com's updates.

Back to the top |

Advertisement


Custom Search
AUTOMOTIVE
• Dealers
• Manufacturers
• Service
• Extended Warranties
• Lemon Laws
• Recalls
• Tires
• Transporters

FAMILY
• Aging
• Children, Parenting
• Recalls
• Dating
• Education
• Entertainment
• Pets
• Weddings
FINANCE
• Annuities
• Banks
• Credit Cards
• Debt Collection
• Debt Counseling
• Insurance
• Investing
• Loans
• Mortgages
• Payday Loans
• Student Loans
• Tax Prep

HEALTH
• Doctors
• Drugs, Pharmacies
• Health Clubs
• Hearing Care
• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• Nutrition, Diets
• Vision Care
• Weight Loss
HOMEOWNERS & RENTERS
• Appliances
• Cookware
• Furniture
• Home Improvements
• Lawn & Garden
• Movers
• Pools & Spas
• Realtors, Rental Agents
• Recalls
• Utilities

ELECTRONICS
• Cable TV/DBS
• Cameras
• Cell Phones
• Computers
• Home Electronics
• Internet Access
• Local Phone Service
• Long Distance
• VoIP
SHOPPING
• In-Home
• Online
• Retail Stores
• Sporting Goods
• Supermarkets
• Telemarketers

TRAVEL
• Airlines
• Bus Lines
• Car Rental
• Cruises
• Hotels
• Travel Agents
• Trains

RESOURCES
• Class Actions
• Complaint Form
• Small Claims Guide
• Lemon Laws
CONSUMER NEWS
• Latest News
• Automotive
• Telecom
• Financial
• Health
• Homeowners
• Scams
• Seniors
• Travel
• More ...

RECALLS
• Automotive
• Children's Products
• Drugs
• Food
• Household Products
• Sporting Goods

ABOUT US
• FAQ
• Privacy Policy
• Advertise With Us
• Newsroom
• Syndication
• Terms of Use

Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2003-2009 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.