Obama's Loan Modification by Tiffany Nelson

When President Obama was running for office in the fall of 2008, a primary concern was the struggling United States economy, especially as it affected everyday citizens. One of his first initiatives after taking office in January of 2009 was to come up with a nation-wide plan that would help rescue floundering home owners from losing their homes due to foreclosure.

This type of program would not only help the individual home owners who would not have to suddenly leave their beloved homes and find housing elsewhere, but also the lending institutions that would be left with unpaid mortgages if the trend continued, and would assist the already overtaxed housing rental market by not suddenly flooding it with more families in need of housing. Under this program, homeowners are able to apply to their lenders for a "loan modification" on their current mortgage. This loan modification, if it is approved, would lower the interest rate on their existing mortgage, sometimes to a little as 2%, thus often significantly decreasing their monthly mortgage payments. Various financial institutions may also offer various other incentives to their borrowers that make this an even more attractive opportunity for homeowners who are facing financial difficulty.

In the course of the loan modification application process, the same factors that were considered in the initial loan application, such as debt-to-income ratio, will be considered again. Debt-to-income ratio, which is the percentage of your income that is devoted to paying off any kind of debt that you owe, is required to be less than 45%. Doing your homework on the information required to fill out the application will speed the process and make it less stressful.

There are also many sites online that will give you more information about what is involved in applying and help you through the process. Don't hesitate to seek professional help as you consider whether or not the loan modification program may be the very help you need to survive and be able to stay in your home during these troubled economic times. Many local companies and individuals, perhaps right in your own community, can also be very helpful to you in making these decisions. Even though this is a nation wide program, you may find that different lenders have a few different requirements for applying, so be sure to consult your own personal lender to be sure you will meet the criteria and have all the information you need.