HARP stands for Home Affordable Refinance Program. It is a US government program that began in the year 2009 under the Obama administration. The program allows “underwater” homeowners to have a refinancing of their homes at the current low mortgage rates. The program was originally available through end of June, 2012. However, on October 24, 2011, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced that HARP Mortgage Program shall be expanded and extended till the end of 2013. The guidelines for the new HARP were already released during last November 15, 2011.
It was said that the goal for expanding the HARP Mortgage Program is to help struggling homeowners and those who have little equity to refinance to take advantage of the current interest rate. The program is expected to make the housing market more stabilized and to boost the country’s overall economy. It will also put some extra money in consumers’ pockets thus relieving homeowners, even in a small way, of their financial problems. The Home Affordable Refinance Program is designed to help borrowers, even if what they owe is more than their property’s current value.
Two of the requirements to qualify for HARP Mortgage Program are (1) if the value of your home has fallen and mortgage payments have increased, and (2) Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac guarantees or owns your mortgage. The government’s Home Affordable Refinance Program may have a refinancing option for you. (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are acronyms of two government-sponsored enterprises: Federal National Mortgage Association for Fannie Mae, and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation for Freddie Mac. The acronyms were officially adopted for easy identification).
Refinancing through the HARP Mortgage Program can benefit a house owner by having a new loan that has much better conditions to replace and pay off the existing loan. It is important to note that refinancing through Home Affordable Refinance Program is available only to borrowers who are financially stable and those who already have a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage. Your account with either of these government-sponsored enterprises should be kept current for the precedent 12 months at the least.
HARP loans can help reduce your mortgage interest in 2 ways. First is if you get into a fixed rate mortgage from an adjustable rate mortgage, your debt will have more stability. While a mortgage which is fixed rate could result in increase of your mortgage costs, a big part of that expense shall be applicable to your principal, enabling you to complete your payment much faster. Second, when you are stuck with a high rate at the time you bought your property, refinancing at the present rate will make mortgage payments automatically affordable.
The HARP Program will not be available forever; it has an expiration date, which is December, 2013. Considering how fast time flies, you should act early to make sure that your refinancing will be completed on or before that date. Take advantage of the program as soon as possible and enjoy the lower monthly payments through the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac process. If you need additional information on how the program can help you, you can go online to get more info.