| Title: | MBA Proposes Forbearance Program to Help Unemployed Borrowers |
| Source: | MBA |
| Date: | 2/24/2010 |
San Diego, CA (February 24, 2010) - The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced today that it has developed a concept for a new forbearance program that
would allow qualified borrowers who had lost their jobs to remain in their homes while they seek new employment. According
to the proposed program, loan servicers would reduce the borrower's mortgage payment to an affordable amount for up to nine
months while the homeowner looked for employment.
"The vast majority of new distressed borrowers we are seeing involve the loss of income," said John A. Courson, MBA's President
and CEO. "This program is designed to buy those borrowers time to find a new job, after which they could hopefully qualify
for a loan modification."
Under MBA's proposal, loan servicers that participate in this program would reduce monthly payments to an affordable level
based on household income. Borrowers would be initially evaluated for the forbearance program using a model that assumes
the borrower will be reemployed within nine months of losing his or her job at 75 percent of the borrower's previous salary.
The borrower would be reevaluated as to employment and income status every three months for a total forbearance of nine months.
Once reemployed, the borrower would be evaluated for a modification under the Obama Administration's Home Affordable Modification
Program (HAMP).
"Recent statistics show that the average unemployed U.S. worker stays unemployed for between six and seven months," added
Courson. "That is a long time for a borrower with a dramatic drop in income to stay current on their mortgage. Further,
borrowers with such a precipitous drop in income can't qualify for most loan modification programs, so we are looking for
ways to allow those borrowers to keep their homes while they look for another job."
MBA suggests that some participating servicers would need access to special loans through Treasury to supply funds to servicers
so they could continue to advance payments to investors during the extended forbearance period. The program would need to
be voluntary and flexible due to financial accounting considerations.
MBA created this program through a special task force of its members. MBA also consulted with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Last week, MBA representatives met with officials from the White House, the Department of Treasury and the Department of Housing
and Urban Development to present the proposal.
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The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is the national association representing the real estate finance industry, an industry
that employs more than 280,000 people in virtually every community in the country. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the
association works to ensure the continued strength of the nation's residential and commercial real estate markets; to expand
homeownership and extend access to affordable housing to all Americans. MBA promotes fair and ethical lending practices and
fosters professional excellence among real estate finance employees through a wide range of educational programs and a variety
of publications. Its membership of over 2,200 companies includes all elements of real estate finance: mortgage companies,
mortgage brokers, commercial banks, thrifts, Wall Street conduits, life insurance companies and others in the mortgage lending
field. For additional information, visit MBA's Web site: www.mortgagebankers.org.