In these difficult financial times and housing market, loan modification is an important option to keep in mind. It is essentially a process of renegotiating with a lender. Any loan may be changed in this fashion, but it is most common with 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.

This type of loan change is usually done when the mortgagor cannot afford to pay the required payments. They are also sometimes implemented when new laws or industry norms require the changes. In almost all cases, it is to the borrower’s benefit.

There are numerous advantages for the borrower with loan modification. Better rates of interest are common. Lower cost fees and/or more favorable conditions allowing a borrower to avoid additional fees are also common. The loan can also be effectively refinanced, resetting the loan term in order to lower the individual payments by extending the time limit for paying off the loan.

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.

Even though modifying loans falls to the discretion of the lender, the government has offered incentives to encourage it. This is a measure to help the economy recover and repair the damage of the real estate crash. There are also some mandatory programs for borrowers and properties meeting specific criteria.

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