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How HAFA Works

Monday, July 12th, 2010


In 2009, the United States Treasury Department launched a new initiative designed to assist Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) qualified borrowers avoid foreclosure.  Under HAMP, qualified applicants must first prove themselves able to sustain the modified payment schedule through a trial program.  Unfortunately, a high percentage of these qualified applicants are unemployed and unable to maintain timely payments.  The next step for these homeowners is to enroll in the HAFA program.

 

In order to protect these homeowners from the long-lasting credit damage caused by foreclosure, the Treasury came up with a new program called Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative Program (HAFA).  This program has many advantages for the failing borrower and for the investor seeking a motivated short sale seller.

 

HAFA provides borrowers who are qualified for HAMP a viable alternative to foreclosure.  Under the terms of HAFA, the borrower who finalizes the transaction is fully released from the future liability for the first mortgage debt.  This important provision protects the borrower and minimizes the damage to future credit reports.

 

Borrowers must agree to all of the Treasury’s short sale terms before listing the property.  This includes an agreeable short sale price and an agreeable occupancy and closing arrangement. 

 

To the borrower’s distinct advantage are a $3,000 allowance for the borrower’s relocation assistance and a $1500 allowance to cover administrative and processing fees.  Investors receive $2,000 for allowing $6,000 to be distributed to subordinate lien holders.  The Treasury Department has developed a formula for distribution of these funds.

 

HAFA is a sensible approach to a sensitive and negative situation.  Sellers involved in the HAFA process are ready, willing and able, unlike independent short sale sellers.  There are just too many advantages for investors in HAFA.  This program may be the best initiative put forth by the Treasury to date.  Serious residential investors should know everything about HAFA. 

 

Fannie and Freddie Paring Back

Friday, October 16th, 2009


Fannie Mae’s recent report indicated that the portfolio balance remained stable at $779.4 billion in August 2009.  The August stabilization follows a July pullback of 18.2% and lowered the year-to-date decline to –1.5%.  Meanwhile, Freddie Mac reported a stunning decline of 30% in its August portfolio size as volume fell to $779.4 billion.  Year-to-date decreases at Freddie Mac have settled at –4.7%.

 

Congress has mandated that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac trim their portfolios by 10% per year beginning in 2010.  Trimming is to continue until portfolios settle at $250 billion each.  Both funds have used the opportunity to elevate credit requirements to boost the quality of the two troubled portfolios.

 

Fannie Mae’s delinquency rate rose sharply by 23 basis points in August.  Fannie Mae loans that required mortgage insurance or the “credit enhanced” borrowers are incurring the greatest number of foreclosure actions.  “Credit enhanced” delinquencies rose to 10.83%.  Non-credit-enhanced delinquencies also increased to 2.47%. 

 

Delinquencies among non-credit enhanced borrowers are most troublesome as delinquencies are rising at a faster rate than the credit-enhanced failures.  Investors will note that delinquencies in multi-family loans are 400% above year-over-year figures.

 

The Obama Administration has countered these trends with aggressive loan modification programs for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae borrowers.  New incentives have been added to the loan modification plans.  Lenders who process loan modifications for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loans receive $1,000 per year for three years while the homeowner who remains current with the new modification receives a $1,000 principal reduction for each of the first three years. 

 

While Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been pressured, the rise in Ginnie Mae activity is surprising.  Ginnie Mae’s fund has quadrupled in size as credit demands have eased and loan limits have increased beyond $729,000.

Dean Graziosi

Saturday, March 1st, 2008

Learn To Invest in Real Estate with Dean Graziosi

There are hundreds of first time investors who try hard to make a profit in real estate without gathering the requisite information needed for investment. They try to start investing without really knowing what’s going on in the market, hoping to learn everything on the way. This attitude results into grossly unprofitable deals or even bankruptcy. You should not jump head-on into real estate or any other industry without proper research, knowledge and guidance.

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Dean Graziosi is a popular author on real estate, a great motivator and a multi-millionaire real estate investment expert. His highly popular real estate personality has achieved immense success through hard work guiding other people achieve success in investment with his verifiable knowledge and books related to Real Estate Investment. Dean Graziosi has transformed the lives of millions of people in the United States and abroad. With his inquisitive mind, trend assessment skills and proven techniques, he has helped many new investors gain financially from real estate investment.

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