Mortgage Loan Modifications - 5 Tips For Negotiating Favorable Terms

Mortgage loan modifications is a process by which the· Submit necessary documents like letter of
terms of the mortgage are modified outside the originalhardship, Paystubs and bank statements for past 2
terms of the contract agreed between mortgagor andmonths, W-2 Form for last 2 years for the employed,
mortgagee. In general any change to the mortgageForm 1040 for last 2 years if self employed, Rental
loan terms is a "modification". This program is veryAgreement if the loan is not on your primary home,
useful for those homeowners who are defaulters ormost recent mortgage statement & property tax
bankrupt and face an impending foreclosure. Thisstatements
program enables them to get a reduction in interestNote: The hardship letter is the most important
rate or change from fixed to floating terms, reductiondocument for sanctioning the loan. Convince the lender
in principal amount, relief from late fees or penalties,about your hardship, how you fell behind and how you
extension of loan terms, relief from foreclosure, andplan to regain your financial position and your capability
more.to repay. The tone of the hardship letter should be
Find a suitable lender who is reliable, supportive andconvincing, excusing, and succinct in nature with a
has a good reputation in the industry. Some of thepositive tone.
leading lenders are Bank of America, Countrywide,You can cite hardships such as: loss of job or
Wells Fargo and Chase Bank (J.P. Morgan). Each hasdecrease in income, death or illness of homeowner,
excellent customer service set up with friendly officersspouse or family member, divorce or separation,
and an exclusive division (Lose Mitigation Dept.) forforced relocation by employer, increased domestic and
handling these cases.other expenses. It is better to take advice of an
The following tips are useful for facilitating negotiation:expert for a successful negotiation.
· An idea about your financial position and theMortgage loan modifications are useful for those who
amount which you can earn per monthare having a hard time meeting their monthly
· A brief plan about your requirements onpayments, day-to-day expenses and fear an
consultation with lenderimpending foreclosure. This program comes to their
· Submit a proposal about your ability to repayrescue with its wide range of benefits and save them
the loanfrom disaster and that is why more and more people
· Ask the lender for forbearance orare coming forward to take advantage of this great
postponement of payments for a few months untilprogram.
you are in a healthy financial position