Housing and Financial Support
In response to constituent requests for mortgage assistance, Congress approved funding for HUD approved counselors to provide you with the information and assistance you need to avoid foreclosure. As part of the President Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP), you may also be eligible for the Making Home Affordable Program, a loan modification and refinancing program to help you reduce your monthly payments and keep your home. To find out if you qualify for HUD approved counseling, the Making Home Affordable Program or to access other resources provided by HUD please visit their website. You can also contact HUD by calling (202) 708-1112.

About the Making Home Affordable Program
  
As American’s strive to recover from the collapse of the housing market, mortgage assistance legislation has led to the development of programs to aid homeowners struggling to make mortgage payments avoid foreclosure. 

Federally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has created the Making Home Affordable (MHA) program to assist struggling homeowners seeking help with mortgage payments. This comprehensive program brings homeowners and their lenders together under the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP).  This unique refinance program allows borrowers who owe more than their home is worth to take advantage of current interest rates and other refinancing benefits.

HUD sponsors home counseling agencies throughout the country that can provide advice on buying a home, defaults, foreclosures, and credit issues. Currently there are 40 approved counseling agencies in Washington State. On the website, included below, you may also search for a reverse mortgage counselor or a foreclosure avoidance counselor, depending on your specific issues.

HUD Approved Counseling Agencies Website: http://hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm
Making Home Affordable Program Contact (HARP): (888) 995-HOPE

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced on Monday, October 24, 2011 that in order to attract more borrowers to benefit from refinancing they would be: eliminating certain fees for borrowers who refinance into shorter-term mortgages, waiving certain warranties that lenders committed to in making loans, eliminating the need for a new property appraisal in order to refinance and extending the end date for HARP until Dec. 31, 2013, on mortgages backed by their two agencies.

Finance Housing Agency Outreach Contact: (202) 414-3800

Other mortgage assistance programs available are the Hardest Hit Fund and the Emergency Homeowners Loan Program.  The Hardest Hit Fund provides money to homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments due to unemployment while the Emergency Homeowners Loan Program provides assistance for up to 24 months to homeowners at risk of foreclosure who have suffered a substantial reduction in income.

Emergency Homeowners Loan Program Contact: (877) 622-8525

 The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) also helps first time homebuyers and borrowers through their own mortgage loan programs.  FHA insures loans offered by traditional lending institutions, and often have lower down payment requirements and limits on other lending fees.

Finance Housing Agency Contact: (800) 225-5342

Find Help in Washington State 

At the state level, Washington has increased the number of programs available to residents buying homes as well as creating the Foreclosure Mediation program.  

Washington State’s Foreclosure Mediation program was implemented in July 2011 and requires lenders to notify homeowners of their risk of foreclosure, giving them the opportunity to seek foreclosure counseling and potential mediation.  This program offers Washington homeowners knowledge about federal programs, such as HARP, while providing them with financially responsible ways to terminate their mortgages. Complimentary to this program is the New Mortgage Assistance law which would increase the number or mortgage counselors in the state.  

Foreclosure Mediation Program Contact: 1.877.894.HOME (4663)

Calculate your Loan Modification Eligibility

To better assist constituents who have been denied a Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) modification, or are interested in obtaining a Making Home Affordable program modification, the U.S. Department of Treasury (DOTR) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), have designed a free tool to help you.

CheckMyNPV.com is designed to assist home owners with a net present value (NPV) evaluation of their mortgage through the HAMP program.  This tool can be used to compare a Non-Approval Notice from their lender, or to estimate the possibility of a successful modification through HAMP.

Additional Help

For additional financial help please visit The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions. The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) regulates and examines a variety of state chartered financial services and provides a wide range of helpful resources for individuals in need of financial support. The Department also provides education and outreach to protect consumers from financial fraud.
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