With the recent economic troubles, loan modification becomes increasing important for many people seeking to reduce their mortgage payments and keep their homes. It is a process where revised loan terms are negotiated between a lender and borrower. This occurs with a wide variety of loan, but it usually involves the revision of mortgages.

Under normal circumstances, a borrower makes periodic payments on a loan. A loan is comprised of principal and interest. Principal is the value of the loan itself. A $200,000 home loan starts off with $200,000 of principal owed. Interest is the fee charged, usually monthly or yearly, for the loan service. If $100 was still owed in principal and the interest rate was 10%, then $10 of interest would be owed for a total payment of $110. Until the loan is completely paid, the lender holds a lien over the property to ensure that they will receive their money back.

Modifications to loans take place when the borrower is no longer able to keep up with the required payments or when mandated by government or industry regulations and provisions. These renegotiated terms and conditions are usually beneficial to the borrower.

Loan modification can benefit you in a number of ways. More favorable interest rates and fees are the primary benefit usually extended when receiving modified mortgage terms. The loan term can be lengthened to spread out payments over a longer period of time. In some cases, the lender may also offer to reduce a portion of the principle or to limit minimum payments based on household income.

Regardless of your loan payment history, you can still put in an application to have your loan modified. In most cases, it is just as beneficial to the lender as to the borrower. If a lender can avoid foreclosure with a better chance of getting the principal of the loan repaid, they generally will prefer that option. Even for borrowers without payment troubles, they would prefer to not have their customer wooed away by a competitor offering better refinancing rates.

While there are a few limited mandatory programs, lenders are free to offer modifications of existing loan agreements on a voluntary basis. Despite this, the federal and state government do offer a wide variety of tax breaks and other incentives for financial institutions to offer more opportunities for mortgage modification.

To learn more information about loan modification services contact Janian and Associates for a free consultation.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 3:42 am and is filed under Uncategorized.