Tag Archives: HOPE NOW Alliance

Though servicers seem to be having minimal success with the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), final 2010 data released by HOPE NOW shows that its members completed 1.24 million proprietary loan modifications last year. That number is more than double the 512,712 HAMP modifications completed by servicers last year. HOPE NOW's data show that there were 1.06 million foreclosure sales in 2010, compared to 1.76 million total loan modifications.

The HOPE NOW industry alliance completed its fourth year in existence in 2010. The organization's latest market report estimates 1.65 million homeowners received permanent loan modifications from January to November 2010. The organization says it plans to be even more aggressive in its outreach efforts to distressed homeowners this year. Going forward, each of its members will participate in one major outreach event per month, in regions that have been most heavily affected by the mortgage and foreclosure crises.

The online loan modification Web portal HOPE LoanPort announced Tuesday that it received a $100,000 grant from Chase Bank to help facilitate mortgage modifications. The Washington, D.C.-based company, developed by the HOPE NOW alliance, is a Web-based instrument that helps simplify the mortgage modification process by allowing HUD-approved housing counselors to collect and then upload modification documents directly to the mortgage servicers and track the applications.

The government's key foreclosure prevention program has put 504,648 distressed homeowners into permanently modified loans since its launch in March 2009. Treasury released new numbers for the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) Wednesday, and in addition to crossing the 500K threshold, the data show that servicers stepped up their use of the program. Permanent modifications in November rose 26 percent compared to October, and 20 percent more trial mods were started.

New data from HOPE NOW shows that the industry completed more than 1.5 million loan modifications for at-risk homeowners from January through October of this year. That translates to an average of 154,000 homeowners per month who have been able to remain in their homes with an affordable loan modification solution. The report makes it clear, though, that there's far more work to be done. HOPE NOW says there are currently 3.4 million homeowners 60 or more days behind on their mortgage payments.

Fewer than 500,000 homeowners have received permanent assistance through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and are still current on their new payments. During the month of October, only 23,750 permanent modifications were granted. Many have called HAMP's results disappointing, but administration officials assert that the full spectrum of housing policies have helped bring stability to a very challenging housing market.

Mortgage servicers have completed 1.4 million permanent loan modifications so far this year, according to the latest estimates from HOPE NOW. Servicers have been granting permanent loan modifications through proprietary and HAMP programs at a steady pace of about 150,000 per month. But consumer advocates and federal watchdogs say their efforts are unfortunately overshadowed by the sheer volume of delinquencies. HOPE NOW says there are still over three million homeowners at least two months behind on their mortgage payments.

New data released by the HOPE NOW Alliance Thursday shows that during the month of August, mortgage servicers completed approximately 116,000 proprietary loan modifications for homeowners and 33,000 mods under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), for a total of 149,000. The report also shows that foreclosures are continuing to increase, despite the strides made in foreclosure prevention efforts. In August, new foreclosures were initiated on 245,015 properties, while foreclosure sales were completed on 101,780.

Wells Fargo, one of the nation's largest mortgage servicers, has agreed to use HOPE LoanPort's proprietary technology to partner with nonprofit housing counselors to assist homeowners with loan modifications. Wells is the 13th major servicer to sign onto the Web-based tool, which allows borrowers and counselors to streamline their submission of loan mod applications. HOPE LoanPort also has commitments from more than 1,600 housing counselors from almost 300 organizations across the country.

Mortgage insurer Radian Guaranty Inc. has made a $200,000 grant to HOPE LoanPort to be used by borrowers, non-profit counselors, servicers, and other organizations to improve the execution of loss mitigation activities, including those under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). Radian's contribution will be used to support HOPE LoanPort in its mission to address some of the hurdles borrowers face when seeking foreclosure alternatives.