US-15 : Loss Mitigation: What Is It in Mortgage?

Loss Mitigation: What Is It in Mortgage?

Nobody ever plans to experience difficulty making their home payment. But occasionally unexpected things happen in life. We can assist you if that occurs. A loss mitigation process will be walked by us.

Borrowers and mortgage servicers collaborate to develop a plan to prevent foreclosure through the process of loss mitigation. Numerous strategies, such as forbearance, repayment plans, loan modifications, short sales, and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure, can be used to achieve this.

What Exactly Is Loss Mitigation?

The ideal situation for a mortgage lender and the homeowner involved in a mortgage payment difficulty is to assist the homeowner in getting back on their feet so they can remain in their house and eventually catch up on their payments. Loss mitigation can also help the homeowner leave the property amicably and prevent foreclosure in the event that the residence is no longer affordable.

Contact your mortgage servicer if you’re experiencing problems making your mortgage payment. The business to which you pay is known as your servicer. Their responsibility includes helping you with any payment-related issues you might have in addition to collecting your money and keeping track of your escrow account (if you have one).

The mortgage lender with whom you finalised your loan may or may not be the same as your servicer. Servicing rights are negotiable and open to outside purchase. The majority of the loans that Rocket Mortgage® closes are serviced.

Alternatives for Loss Mitigation

You should contact your servicer as soon as you think there’s a potential you might have difficulties paying next mortgage payments. In accordance with your financial circumstances, they will be able to discuss any choices you may have for assistance.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that depending on what caused you to require payment help, each of these solutions generally has an influence on your credit and may result in a worse credit score. This effect may persist until your payments are caught up. In all cases, though, dealing with it this way is preferable than not dealing with it at all and increasing the likelihood of losing your home.

This general rule has a few exceptions. The big mortgage investors frequently offer credit protection if your request for payment help occurs after a natural disaster. The CARES Act also allows for exemption from the credit impact where a forbearance is necessary due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on the economy or public health.

Forbearance

Regardless of how you ultimately catch up on your payments, forbearance is sometimes the first measure servicers take to offer aid. Your mortgage payment is temporarily suspended during forbearance. The idea is to give you some time to get your finances in order before you have to start worrying about paying housing payments once more.

When your payment is paused, any missing payments must finally be made. Depending on the mortgage investor (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, etc.) and the circumstances that caused your payment difficulties, you may have several options for repayment after forbearance.

Refusal or Incomplete Claim

You might be able to extend the back end of your loan to cover all or any of your missing payments. When you sell your home, refinance, or otherwise pay off your loan, they are then reimbursed. The term “deferral” or “partial claim” may be used depending on the mortgage investor. Whatever you choose to name it, they all operate the same way in the eyes of the client.

Payment Schedule

When working with your servicer, you may also be eligible for a repayment plan as an additional choice. When you’re on a repayment plan, back payments are gradually applied to your monthly payment until you’ve paid off the entire balance. You should be aware that until the plan is finished, your monthly cost may grow dramatically.

Modification of Loan

The conditions of your initial loan are modified in a loan modification so that you can roll over your past-due payments into your loan. Your mortgage is now current as a result. The interest rate and/or loan duration may vary as a result of the modification, although this is not required. Rates for modifications change with the market, just like all mortgage rates do.

The new terms of your loan following the modification may result in an increase in your payment going forward.

Reinstatement

After your period of forbearance is over, you must reinstate your payments by making a single payment for all past due amounts. The quickest option to make the loan current and continue with your current mortgage is to do it this way.

While we acknowledge that not everyone can do this, there are circumstances in which it could be desirable. Maybe you’ve had to wait a while to get paid at work because you were promised back pay later. You can make your past-due payments when your paycheck arrives and be immediately caught up.

Think about selling your house

The wisest course of action for you may be to think about selling your house if you and your servicer decide there is no realistic possibility you will be able to afford to stay there. It’s never easy to make this choice, but in many circumstances you might pay off your debt and protect your credit by doing so.

You should be aware that now is an excellent moment to sell if you really need to. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller index represents a rolling 3-month average of home prices across 20 significant U.S. metro areas. The most recent month for which data were available, February, showed a 20.2% increase in home prices compared to the same period last year.

This, along with extremely low levels of existing house inventory—every existing property now on the market, assuming a 6-month supply is regarded in balance, would be sold within 2 months at the current pace—indicates a market that is severely tilted favour sellers. In some circumstances, you can have the opportunity to boost your financial recovery by paying off your mortgage and making a sizeable profit.

Brief Sale

You might be able to deal with your lender on a short sale if you won’t be able to collect enough money from the sale of your property to pay down your mortgage.

In a short sale, a lender consents to let you sell your home for less than the balance of your mortgage. The rationale behind this is that doing something is preferable to doing nothing and helps the lender to partially recover its losses without having to go through the time and expense of a foreclosure. It’s crucial to remember that your lender must consent to this and must approve all proposals.

Furthermore, although less so than a foreclosure, borrowers should be aware that this could affect their credit. As long as you haven’t missed any mortgage or installment payments in the year leading up to the sale or in the 12 months previous to your new application, one perk of a short sale is that you can obtain an FHA loan without the customary 3-year waiting period.

Last but not least, your lender might still be able to pursue you for the difference between the proceeds of the sale and the amount you still owe on the mortgage, depending on the state where you reside. If you want to take this path, you should be aware of this.

In lieu of foreclosure, a deed

You return the ownership of your property to your lender when you sign a deed in lieu of foreclosure. There are still deadlines for you to leave, but it’s possible that this is less upsetting than having to deal with a complete foreclosure and everything it entails.

Your lender must approve of this. They might take into consideration things like the home’s valuation and the amount you still owe on the balance in determining whether this is a suitable alternative.

Additionally, your credit is negatively impacted by it. Depending on state law, your lender may be entitled to file a lawsuit and demand that you pay the difference between the sale price of the property and the amount you owe.

However, one advantage is that, as opposed to the traditional waiting time of seven years, you might be able to qualify for a conventional loan in as little as four years. Finally, there are some situations where your lender might be able to provide you with money, also known as “cash for keys,” if you meet specific deadlines for moving out. This can aid in your search for new housing.

What Is An Application For Loss Mitigation?

In the industry, the application that customers submit for reduced mortgage payments is occasionally referred to as a loss mitigation application. Customers of Rocket Mortgage® can complete our Application for Success.

The application requests the following two types of data from a borrower: You’ll be asked to explain the difficulty you’re going through that has motivated you to ask for help. Typically, a servicer will also ask you for details that would help them understand your present financial status.

Pay stubs, invoices, bank statements, and a list of your regular monthly expenses are a few examples of the kinds of paperwork that can be required. The earlier you supply this information, the sooner your service provider can assess your alternatives.

As soon as you suspect issue may be brewing, you should get in touch with your service provider. With each payment you’re late, your chances of going into foreclosure rise. Additionally, being proactive may enable you to avoid costs. Every time you make a payment after the grace period, you risk being assessed a late fee.

Your mortgage documents will specify your grace period and payment due date. Your monthly mortgage payment is typically due on January 1st. Clients of Rocket Mortgage get 15 days from the due date as a grace period.