There are seven ways to alter the terms of your mortgage. Learn the details and trade-offs of each below and decide which one is right for you.
Refinance What is it? In a mortgage refinance, homeowners essentially take out a new mortgage that replaces their current one. It is a lot like selling your home to yourself. The value of your property is assessed, just as it would be if it was going to be placed on the market, and you renegotiates the terms of a new mortgage based on the interest rates of the day.
When Does It Work? When housing prices are high and interest rates are low, which explains why refinancing was so popular from 2002 to 2007.
Why Does It Not Work? When housing prices have fallen to the point where homeowners no longer have any equity in the property. This is why the refinancing industry, so busy and active 2 years ago, is practically unheard of today.
Pros: When done at the right time, refinancing can give homeowners cash in their pocket (if the value of their home increased since they took out their last mortgage), and lower monthly payments (if interest rates have fallen, or their credit rating has increased, since they took out their last mortgage).
Cons: Fees, fees and more fees. Because you’re basically selling your home to yourself, all of the assessment fees, escrow fees and handling fees you paid when you first bought your property still apply.
Repayment Plans What Is It? Mortgage repayment plans are a great solution to temporary hardship on the part of a homeowner. This solution involves the lender temporarily modifying the terms of a mortgage so that the homeowner can enjoy lower payments in the short-term at the expense of higher payments or longer time periods in the future. It is essentially a case where the lender bets that you, the homeowner, are a good investment; that you are likely to overcome your temporary setback and fulfill your mortgage.
When Does It Work? If a homeowner has a great relationship with a lender, and if the lender itself is on a sound financial footing, repayment plans are the best option for everyone involved. They are revenue neutral for lenders, and homeowners are generally happy to endure stricter long-term conditions in exchange for temporarily relief when they need it most.
When Does It Not Work? When lenders are receiving billions of dollars in government bail-outs because they are not financially sound, or when high unemployment makes it unlikely that a homeowner’s hardship will be temporary.
Pros: Least costly option for both the lender and the homeowner.
Cons: Too conditional. The national unemployment rate and the global financial crisis simply makes it too difficult for lenders and homeowners to credibly negotiate a repayment plan.
Forbearance What Is It? Forbearance is a temporary suspension of monthly mortgage payments. It is generally used for temporary hardships that are foreseen in advance by homeowners and lenders. Setbacks such as death, divorce, unemployment or illness are widely accepted as temporary hardships by lenders.
When Does It Work? Similar to repayment plans, the forbearance solution is only possible when lenders are financially stable and when are confident that a homeowner’s hardship is temporary.
When Does It Not Work? Again, similar to repayment plans, forbearance agreements are unlikely to be negotiated when lenders themselves are in financial difficulty, and when homeowners are facing a challenging labor market.
Pros: Homeowners do not have to make any mortgage payments for several months, and lenders get to roll the suspended payments into the rest of the mortgage principal and earn higher returns in the future.
Cons: In exchange for a temporary respite, homeowners must pay back a larger sum then their initial mortgage stipulated.
Deed In Lieu What Is It? When a homeowner turns over their property to their lender in exchange for (“in lieu of”) terminating their mortgage obligations. This is not the same as “walking away from a mortgage”, which is actually foreclosure. With Deed In Lieu, the lender must agree to take possession of your property in exchange for relieving you of all future mortgage payments.
When Does It Work? When the value of a property is still relatively high, i.e. less than 5% below the value of an owner’s mortgage. Before the housing crisis in America hit full swing, Deeds In Lieu were great ways for banks and owners to avoid the high costs and staining legacy of foreclosure.
When Does It Not Work? When housing prices have plummeted to the point where lenders no longer wish to take over ownership of a property in exchange for relieving a mortgage obligation. In today’s market, lenders will lose too much money if they agreed to Deeds In Lieu so the incentive for negotiation just isn’t there.
Pros: It achieves all of the benefits of foreclosure for both owners and lenders without the downsides: High costs for lenders, a giant “F” on a credit report for owners.
Cons: Owners do not get to stay in their homes, and lenders must now find a way to sell the property they just received the deed to.
Short Sales What Is It? When a owner sells a property for less than the value of the mortgage and turns all of the proceeds from this sale over to the lender. The lender agrees to this sale because the entire mortgage will paid off quickly. The lender is losing money by not enjoying years of interest payments, but short sales can occasionally be the “least bad option” available for both parties involved.
When Does It Work? When a short sale is likely to provide the lender with a sufficient return over the short-term for it to allow the owner to proceed with the sale.
When Does It Not Work? When housing prices have fallen to the point where properties cannot be sold, or if the money likely to be earned from a sale is sufficient for the lender to agree to it.
Pros: Slightly cheaper than foreclosure, but still incredibly expensive. Owners do achieve a timely, albeit brutal, relief from their mortgage obligations.
Cons: Owners do not get to remain in their homes, and the process generally results in a tremendous loss of money for both owners and lenders.
Foreclosure What Is It? When a owner announces to a lender that he or she is no longer able to meet the terms of a mortgage, or when a lender declares that a mortgage is in default and it is taking control of a property. The lender then becomes the owner of the property and must find some way to sell it and make a profit in the future.
When Does It Work? Foreclosure is always an option, although it is never a good one. It is the last and final solution available for lenders and owners. No one likes it, everyone is hurt by it, but it does remove the mortgage obligation for the owner.
When Does It Not Work? Never. Foreclosure is always an option.
Pros: Difficult though it may be, foreclosure does terminate a mortgage and provide relief to the owner, at the cost of a seven-year stain on the owner’s credit rating (the big “F”).
Cons: Foreclosures take between 150 and 390 days to complete depending on the state a property is located, and costs lenders an average of $50,000 per property to complete. That cost is endured even before the lender is able to resell the property, which could result in even greater losses given the scope of the national housing crisis. As for owners, those who foreclose are financially ruined and removed from their home.
Loan Modification mortgage modification Is It? A negotiation between between a lender and an owner to change one or more of a mortgage’s five key terms.
When Does It Work? Almost all the time, although the probability of success is higher or lower depending on the situation. Adjustable-rate mortgages at high interest rates are automatically accepted for modification. Fixed rate mortgages at low interest rates are rarely accepted, but there’s always a chance for success.
home loan modification Does It Not Work? The leading cause of rejected modification applications is homeowners failing to understand and navigate the system correctly. In the hands of a professional team like Able Financial Solutions, owners can achieve the strongest possible bargaining position for the loan modification negotiation, increasing the likelihood of success.
Pros: Cheaper than foreclosure or short-sales for lenders, which increases the chance that lenders will negotiate in good faith. If successful, owners are able to stay in their homes, achieve financial relief and endure a less painful impact on their credit-rating.
Cons: Because owners must personally negotiate with lenders, loan modification can be a scary, nerve-wracking process. But with a team like Able Financial Solutions, owners can develop a calculated strategy for success and can negotiate with confidence that the best interest of both them and the lender.
