Loan Modification Plan (Obama)

Loan Modification Plan (Obama)

Real Estate Investor · Georgetown, MA · Member since 2008 · 250 posts · 6 votes

I've been listening to CNBC this morning and they have been releasing some of the plan to bailout homeowners.

It was just released an hour and half ago so the details are few and far between at this point but here are some notes.....

-Helps and estimated 4-5 million homeowners
-conforming loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie and Freddie.
-borrowers refi to lower interest rates
-no jumbo loans.

-$75 B stability initiative for at risk borrowers. Lenders need to reduce the amount on the loan to bring the ratio to 38% of the borrowers income. The government will then step in and subsidize more of that bringing the ratio down to 31%.

-Servicers to rework the loan will be paid 1,000 incentive by the govt and then another 1,000 in year two if the loan is successful and the borrower is current.

-The government will also pitch in 1,000 a year to the borrower to stay current on their loan. Effectively you get 1,000 a year if you don't miss a payment from the government. But this is only people loans who are reworked not people that have been paying and current all along.

-Government is going to double the amount of money to Fannie and Freddie so they can continue to buy up loan packages. Additional money not coming from TARP.

Thoughts......?

(This is not going to go over well here...jmo.) :D

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  • Real Estate Investor · CA · Member since 2009 · 6 posts · 0 votes
    17y

    I'm curious about the promised "Transparency" in all of this. Will these modifications somehow get recorded to show the new loan amounts and the goverment as partial beneficiary?

    Talk about an incentive that will backfire. Why on earth would anyone who is overleveraged even attempt to stay current on their mortgage with a plan like this.

  • Real Estate Investor · Bergen County, NJ · Member since 2008 · 390 posts · 72 votes
    17y

    So if I bought a $3million dollar home recently and obviously can't afford the payments, Obama's going to pay up until the loan's 31-38% of my income? Is this correct? lol

    Sweet deal if it is, I should of bought that beach front mansion I saw a couple months ago.... If anyone can qualify me for a $5-$50 million dollar loan, please let me know I'm very interested!!

  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    17y

    Dave -
    What did they say about Jumbo loans?

  • Real Estate Investor · Georgetown, MA · Member since 2008 · 250 posts · 6 votes
    17y

    There is no way they can get the majority of the balances down to 38-31% of income in most cases in my opinion. The reason is because so many of these loans were used with stated income...falsely stated. People said they made 100k that were making 40k and bought a 400k house.

    So that person who makes around 40k can afford a mortgage of around 1,100 a month on the upper end of that ratio. Meaning a 204,000 loan.

    Are you telling me they are going to write down the balance of that loan to 204 k on a 400k house?

    Even if this is an extreme scenario are you really going to see 50-200k principal reductions on people that should have never owned a home in the first place?

  • Real Estate Investor · Georgetown, MA · Member since 2008 · 250 posts · 6 votes
    17y
    Originally posted by Joshua Dorkin:
    Dave -
    What did they say about Jumbo loans?


    They said that Jumbo loans are not included in this loan Mod plan. Although things could change because the details were just coming out.
  • Real Estate Investor · Bergen County, NJ · Member since 2008 · 390 posts · 72 votes
    17y

    What I wrote was probably a little sarcastic and extreme, but I agree with Dave, and I didn't see any suggested cap on the amount the government would reduce the loans by... Does anyone know if there is a cap on the amount they will/can reduce a persons loan to make it 38% of income......

  • Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    17y

    This may be a great plan for those of us in the full time rental business. In this business, the depreciation can make your income look VERY LOW, even though it is quite high. I have a friend who owns about 150 rentals and his adjusted gross income is about $30K. He is a multi-millionaire and owns a very nice house, complete with indoor basketball course. Is Obama the Socialist going to reduce his payment to 31% of this adjusted gross income? I want part of that deal!

    Mike

  • Real Estate Investor · Georgetown, MA · Member since 2008 · 250 posts · 6 votes
    17y
    Originally posted by Robert Mack:
    What I wrote was probably a little sarcastic and extreme, but I agree with Dave, and I didn't see any suggested cap on the amount the government would reduce the loans by... Does anyone know if there is a cap on the amount they will/can reduce a persons loan to make it 38% of income......

    Robert,

    The only "cap" that I saw was that jumbos (417k +?) are not included. There has to be some cap....I would hope.

    Lets say my scenario above plays out...Someone is taking a 200k loss, in this case the bank. Why on earth would the bank want to take a 50% loss on the original loan just for a couple grand in incentives from the government. I think they would rather risk the foreclosure to see if they can see it at .60 on the dollar. They would be winning in the case of foreclosure.

  • Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2008 · 759 posts · 185 votes
    17y

    I am still confused on how this plan is fair to:

    1. The folks who are current
    2. The folks who have already had their home foreclosed on

    I know life is not fair, but this seems like it could create a very hostile situation. I am all for helping people, but not sure what the answer is.

    Am I missing something?

  • Real Estate Investor · Georgetown, MA · Member since 2008 · 250 posts · 6 votes
    17y

    The other issue is how do they determine what fair market value is in this case?

    You totally through out the actually house, land and market value in this case since it would appartently be based on the owners income and not market balancing factors.

    When you use houses for comps are you going to use the 400k sales price this year when in fact the owner got a modification to 250k?

    Are we(or agents)going to have access on the write down value of homes to justify comps?

    This does nothing to stem the drop in housing prices imo....its just optics.

  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    17y

    Surly there are plenty (hundreds of thousands of people) who own Jumbo loans who are in the process of undergoing foreclosure . . . I wonder if they think that those people are less worthy than the homeowner with a smaller loan.

    It makes little sense that this plan not include the mid-upper end demographic.

  • Real Estate Investor · Georgetown, MA · Member since 2008 · 250 posts · 6 votes
    17y
    Originally posted by Harrison Painter:
    I am still confused on how this plan is fair to:

    1. The folks who are current - Their tax money will go towards paying the modifications of incompetent people.
    2. The folks who have already had their home foreclosed on. They get shafted, too little to late in their case.

    I know life is not fair, but this seems like it could create a very hostile situation. I am all for helping people, but not sure what the answer is.

    Am I missing something?


    Bolded are my answers
  • Real Estate Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 447 votes
    17y
    Originally posted by Harrison Painter:
    I am still confused on how this plan is fair to:

    1. The folks who are current
    2. The folks who have already had their home foreclosed on


    They are not concerned about fairness. People who are current are not contributing to the problem and it's too late for those who have already lost their home. The idea is to slow the spread of foreclosures. The easiest way to do that is to bailout the irresponsible and the reckless. If you were stupid enough to be a responsible borrower and buy a home you could afford then you are out of luck.

    :cool:

  • Financial Advisor · Tampa Area, FL · Member since 2008 · 956 posts · 214 votes
    17y

    hahaha!

    i always love richard's blunt and to the point comments.....followed by a smiley :)

  • Real Estate Investor · Georgetown, MA · Member since 2008 · 250 posts · 6 votes
    17y

    BTW....for those of you around a TV.

    Obama is speaking on CNBC around 12:15-12:30.

    Hopefully they dive into the details more.

  • Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2008 · 759 posts · 185 votes
    17y

    What I am seeing is another "Rush Order" job. They are moving too fast to trying to make something happen.

    I would be all for helping people that could prove a serious life problem that put them in their situation (medical emergency w/ no insurance, job loss, ect), but feel that a rushed "blanket" program could cause more harm than good.

    While I might be naive, I do honestly think that Obama believes that he is doing the right thing. My concern is that we are throwing around Millions Billions Trillions without much preparation.

    Maybe my thinking is officially outdated, but I want to see people get help people who NEED it, not just people that feel they want it.

  • Real Estate Investor · Georgetown, MA · Member since 2008 · 250 posts · 6 votes
    17y

    Harrison,

    It would be so hard to differentiate those with serious life problems and those that just flat out lied to get the house they got.

    The only "fair" way is to not interfere with the market imo.

    Yes these foreclosures will continue to depress house prices but that will also align them with a proper income/price ratio that has been way out of wack due to the bubble. The market will balance like it always has.

    Some people actually bought well below their means, some people stayed in a crappy apartment to save up or moved back home to properly support an investment for their first house. Some people got an extra job. Those patient sensible people will benefit from all these foreclosures because they will be buying in a reasonable bottom.

    I think those people deserve to benefit more. Its really two paths to chose from.

    1) Allow foreclosures to go on, prices will fall, market will balance and people will allow to get a fresh start who were responsible.

    2) Allow the government to step in, take tax money give it to people to stave off foreclosures and artificially prop up the market. All it will do is hold the basis of home prices higher not allowing to totally reset the cycle.

  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    17y

    BTW - Those of you listening to the press conference, please make notes and share them here for the rest of us.

    We'll keep this discussion as a running thread of this thing....

    It could make for a GREAT thread.

  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    17y

    Back to Richard's comments . . . he's right. This isn't about fairness, just stabilizing things. That said, I'm with Harrison on this one: there are going to be many more people who are unhappy with this bill then pleased with it.

  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    17y

    Just learned that the money for this doesn't come from the TARP program (CNBC). Will it come from the new bailout bill or will we borrow another $75 billion from China?

  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    17y

    CNBC - Even if you have negative equity, the new plan will allow you to refi through Fannie

  • Real Estate Investor · Georgetown, MA · Member since 2008 · 250 posts · 6 votes
    17y

    A few more details

    -Supposedly this will be implemented March 4th.

    -Even negative equity owners can now refi under fannie and freddie loans.

  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    17y

    Join me in the chatroom now to discuss:
    http://www.biggerpockets.com/chat/

  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    17y

    Great chat everyone!

    So . . . thoughts?

    My big one is that this plan is going to put all the work in the hands of judges who are going to have to make the hard decisions here . . . or am I missing something?

  • Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2008 · 759 posts · 185 votes
    17y

    Great chat Josh! We need to get people in the habit of using that feature when major events are taking place.

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