In an effort to reach out to distressed homeowners, who are experiencing a hardship and can not afford their mortgage, we are committed to providing the most up-to-date information to homeowners. Todays market, has privileged homeowners to numerous programs that help them prevent foreclosure, whether they option to try and keep their home or gracefully exit from
the home. Yes, there is a process and it can take some time, but the help is there for FREE.
Purpose
CalHFA MAC created the Keep Your Home Program, a $2 Billion federal funded mortgage assistance program in February 2011. The purpose of the Keep Your Home Program is to provide distressed homeowners assistance, whether homeowners are seeking to stay in their home or avoid foreclosure. CalHFA MAC programs offers four different programs aimed to assist low-to-moderate income homeowners. Eligibility is based on numerous factors, including county-by-county income requirements and the participation of mortgage servicers.
Programs
- Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program: Provides mortgage payment assistance up to the amount of $3,000 per month for a twelve month period to homeowners who have lost their employment involuntarily. Homeowners are required to be approved or currently receiving Employment Development Department (EDD) unemployment Benefits.
- Mortgage Reinstatement Assistance Program: Helps homeowners that are behind in their mortgage payment with an one-time amount up to $25,000 to reinstate their past due mortgage payments. This program will allow homeowners who have a proven hardship and are in a position to pay their home loan thereafter.
- Principal Reduction Program: Assists homeowners with a proven hardship , in the amount up to $100,000 in principal reduction with the first mortgage loan. Homeowners MUST have the capability to make future mortgage payments and the property MUST qualify with negative equity.
- Transition Assistance Program: Eligible homeowners can receive up to $5,000 for relocation costs from an approved servicer short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. This program funds can be used in addition to whatever relocation assistance the servicer is providing, if any at all.
Participation:
Servicers: Currently, there are more than 100 servicers participating in the Keep Your Home California program. However, each servicers may not offer assistance in all four programs.
HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agencies: As Short Sale Agents in the San Joaquin and Stanislaus County, we are HUGE proponents of utilizing Housing Counseling Agencies. We have partnership with HUD-Approve Housing Counseling Agencies in the San Joaquin & Stanislaus County that are familiar with these programs and we would be more than happy to refer homeowners to.
Performance
A lot of time we will hear about the program, but there is not much measurement on how well these programs have assisted homeowners. Homeowners in all 58 Counties in California have received assistance from the Keep Your Home California Program. The Keep Your Home California Program has assisted over 20,000 homeowners statewide. CALHFA Mac reported in the first quarter of 2013:
In San Joaquin County:
| PROGRAMS | HOMEOWNERS HELPED | ASSISTANCE AMOUNT |
| MRAP | 147 | $1,693,513.48 |
| PRP | 52 | $3,072,546.89 |
| TAP | 12 | $46,250.00 |
| UMA | 681 | $7,290,684.51 |
| TOTAL | 892 | $12,102,994.88 |
In Stanislaus County:
| PROGRAMS | HOMEOWNERS HELPED | ASSISTANCE AMOUNT |
| MRAP | 86 | $992,701.64 |
| PRP | 40 | $2,024,128.39 |
| TAP | 1 | $2,000.00 |
| UMA | 432 | $4,039,048.78 |
| TOTAL | 559 | $7,057,878.81 |
It is important to note that not all homeowners are required to be behind in their payments to receive assistance. What is important that if you are in or foresee a distressed situation to contact an experienced short sale agent to help direct you in the right direction.
