General Step By Step Guide to Lenders

This is the step by step process that will be used by lenders to determine eligibility for Loan Modification.If you would like to check eligibility click on the link below



The home must be an owner occupied, single family 1-4 unit property (including condominium, cooperative, and manufactured home affixed to a foundation and treated as real property under state law).

• The home must be a primary residence (verified with tax return, credit report, and other documentation such as a utility bill).

• The home may not be investor-owned.

• The home may not be vacant or condemned.

Any foreclosure action will be temporarily suspended during the trial period, or while borrowers are considered for alternative foreclosure prevention options.

There is no minimum or maximum LTV ratio for eligibility purposes

Front-End DTI is the ratio of PITIA to Monthly Gross Income. PITIA is defined as principal, interest, taxes, insurance (including homeowners insurance and hazard and flood insurance) and homeowners association and/or condominium fees. Mortgage insurance premiums are excluded from the PITIA calculation.

The Front-End DTI Target is 31%. The Standard Waterfall step that results in a Front-End DTI closest to 31%, without going below 31%, will satisfy the Front-End DTI Target.

Every potentially eligible borrower who calls or writes in to their servicer in reference to a modification must be screened for hardship. This screen must ascertain whether the borrower has had a change in circumstances that causes financial hardship, or is facing a recent or imminent increase in the payment that is likely to create a financial hardship (payment shock). If the borrower reports a material change in circumstances, the servicer must ask about current income and assets, and current expenses as well as the specific circumstances relating to the claimed financial hardship. Each of these elements shall be verified through documentation.

If the servicer determines that a non-defaulted borrower facing a financial hardship is in Imminent Default and will be unable to make his or her mortgage payment in the immediate future, the servicer must apply the NPV Test.

A standard NPV Test will be required on each loan that is in Imminent Default or is at least 60 days delinquent under the MBA delinquency calculation. This NPV Test will compare the net present value (NPV) of cash flows expected from a modification to the net present value of cash flows expected in the absence of modification. If the NPV of the modification scenario is greater, the NPV result is deemed positive.

The NPV Test applies to the Standard Waterfall only and does not require consideration of principal forgiveness. However, the servicer may choose to forgive principal if the servicer determines that principal forgiveness improves the likelihood of loan performance and the value of modification.

Step 1a: Request Monthly Gross Income as specified above.
Step 1b: Validate total first lien debt and monthly payments (PITIA). For purposes of making a provisional modification offer during the trial modification period, the borrower’s unverified income and debt payments can be used. Provisional information and modification terms will be verified in a timely manner.

Step 2: Capitalize arrearage. Servicers may capitalize accrued interest, past due real estate taxes and insurance premiums, delinquency charges paid to third parties in the ordinary course of servicing and not retained by the servicer, any required escrow advances already paid by the servicer and any required escrow advances by the servicer that are currently due and will be paid by the servicer during the Trial Period. Late fees are not capitalized.

Step 3: Target a Front-End DTI of 31%. The lender/investor shall follow steps 4, 5, and 6 to reduce the borrower’s payment to the level corresponding to the Front-End DTI Target.

Step 4: Reduce the interest rate to reach the Front-End DTI Target (subject to a floor of 2%). The note rate should be reduced in increments of 0.125 %, and should bring the monthly payment as close as possible to the Front-End DTI Target without going below 31%. If the resulting modified interest rate is at or above the Interest Rate Cap, this modified interest rate will be the new note rate for the remaining loan term. If the resulting modified interest rate is below the Interest Rate Cap, this modified interest rate will be in effect for the first five years, followed by annual increases of 1% (100 basis points) per year or such lesser amount as may be needed until the interest rate reaches the Interest Rate Cap, at which time it will be fixed for the remaining loan term.

Step 5: If the Front-End DTI Target has not been reached, extend the term of the loan up to 40 years. If term extension is not permitted extend amortization. The 40-year term begins at the start of the modification (after the borrower successfully completes the Trial Period). Note that the servicer should only extend to a term that is necessary to reach the Front-End DTI Target; there is no requirement to extend to a 40-year term.
Step 6: If the Front-End DTI Target has not been reached, forbear principal. If there is a principal forbearance amount, a balloon payment of that forbearance amount is due on the maturity date, upon sale of the property, or upon payoff of the interest bearing balance. If the modification does not pass the NPV Test and the servicer chooses to modify the loan, the modified must be no lower than the current property value.