HAMP and HARP to be extended

by: Henry Meier

To no one’s surprise, FHFA Director Mel Watt announced in a speech Friday in California that the GFE’s would extend their participation in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) until the end of 2016. This coincides with the end of the Obama Administration. What a coincidence.

Started in 2009, these programs were the primary Administrative response designed to assist consumers affected by the Mortgage Meltdown. Under the HARP and HAMP programs, eligible mortgages are either refinanced or modified to make them more affordable. Despite the fact that these programs have been around since 2009, the Director estimated that there are more than 600,000 eligible mortgage holders who have not yet taken advantage of them, including close to 19,000 New Yorkers.

The announcement follows the FHFA’s announcement last month that it was not raising the guarantee fees charged by Fannie and Freddie.

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