To participate in the loan modification plan, borrowers must:
- have obtained their mortgage before Jan. 1, 2009;
- have a primary mortgage of less than $729,500;
- live in the property;
- fully document their income by providing tax returns and pay stubs;
- sign a statement of financial hardship; and
- go for counseling if their total household debt - including auto loans, credit cards and alimony - totals more than 55% of their income.
The modification program will be in effect until the end of 2012, but loans can only be adjusted once.
Officials also unveiled more details on how servicers will modify the loans. First, they must reduce interest rates so that borrowers’ total house payments are not more than 38% of their monthly income. The government will then subsidize servicers dollar-for-dollar to lower that ratio to 31% - but the interest rate can’t go below 2%.
The new interest rate would then remain in place for five years, after which it will increase by 1 percentage point a year until it reaches either the original rate or the prevailing mortgage rate at the time of the modification, whichever is lower.
If rate reductions aren’t enough to get payments to 31% of income, a lender can extend the term up to 40 years, or shift part of the principal to the end of the loan at no interest. Servicers also have the option of reducing the loan’s balance.
Servicers will receive $1,000 for each loan modified, as well as additional annual bonuses if borrowers keep up with payments. Investors will receive one-time $1,500 incentive payments for restructuring qualifying loans that are not yet delinquent. Finally, borrowers who keep up with their new payments will receive up to $1,000 a year in principal reduction, for up to five years.
The program also includes a new provision to eliminate borrowers’ second mortgages. Investors in those mortgages, who at times have blocked modifications because they don’t benefit from the adjustments, will receive incentives to eliminate those claims. Servicers that get second-mortgage holders to participate will receive an additional $250
