Well we now know the official name of this plan:
Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP)
Note: I will continue to reserve my comments and analysis of this plan until I have additional details.
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From the White House:
Help for homeowners
The President’s strategy for economic recovery is a stool with several legs, as he’s said, and one of them is solving the foreclosure crisis.
“We must stem the spread of foreclosures and falling home values for all Americans, and do everything we can to help responsible homeowners stay in their homes,” he said yesterday as he signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law.
Though communities across the country have been affected by the crisis, Arizona has been particularly hard hit — in 2008, only two states had more foreclosures.
And President Obama is there today, in Phoenix, to unveil his “Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan,” which will help bring relief to homeowners and bring some order to the housing market.
The President will talk more about his plan a little later today. In the meantime, we’re sure you have a lot of questions, like, Am I eligible for assistance? Might I be able to modify my loan? When do I apply? We’ve put together an example sheet that will show you what options might be available to you, depending on the circumstances of your mortgage, as well as answers to some common questions (below).
Questions and Answers for Borrowers about the
Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan
Borrowers Who Are Current on Their Mortgage Are Asking:
- What help is available for borrowers who stay current on their mortgage payments but have seen their homes decrease in value?
Under the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, eligible borrowers who stay current on their mortgages but have been unable to refinance to lower their interest rates because their homes have decreased in value, may now have the opportunity to refinance into a 30 or 15 year, fixed rate loan.  Through the program, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will allow the refinancing of mortgage loans that they hold in their portfolios or that they placed in mortgage backed securities.
- I owe more than my property is worth, do I still qualify to refinance under the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan?
Eligible loans will now include those where the new first mortgage (including any refinancing costs) will not exceed 105% of the current market value of the property.  For example, if your property is worth $200,000 but you owe $210,000 or less you may qualify. The current value of your property will be determined after you apply to refinance.
