Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP)

Source:  Making Home Affordable.Gov

If you're not behind on your mortgage payments but have been unable to get traditional refinancing because the value of your home has declined, you may be eligible to refinance through MHA's Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). HARP is designed to help you get a new, more affordable, more stable mortgage. HARP refinance loans require a loan application and underwriting process, and refinance fees will apply.

 

Eligibility

You may be eligible for HARP if you meet all of the following criteria:

• The mortgage must be owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae.
• The mortgage must have been sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or before May 31, 2009.
• The mortgage cannot have been refinanced under HARP previously unless it is a Fannie Mae loan that was refinanced under HARP from March-May, 2009.
• The current loan-to-value (LTV) ratio must be greater than 80%.
• The borrower must be current on the mortgage at the time of the refinance, with a good payment history in the past 12 months.

*Eligibility criteria are for guidance only. Contact your mortgage servicer to see if you are eligible for HARP


Program Availability

Ask your mortgage servicer (the company to which you make your mortgage payments) if they participate in HARP. Not all mortgage servicers do. Contact Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac for help in determining if you may be eligible for HARP. 
Program ends December 31, 2013.

Steps to HARP Refinance

• Determine whether your mortgage is owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac by visiting their respective Loan Lookup Tools.
• Contact your current mortgage servicer or another that is approved by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to inquire about HARP.
• Compare rates and costs with additional mortgage companies to ensure best refinance terms.

 For More Information

• Visit FannieMae.com or call (800)7Fannie.
• Visit FreddieMac.com, call (800)Freddie.
• If you have additional questions about getting mortgage help, contact one of our housing experts at 888-995-HOPE (4673). These HUD-approved housing counselors will help you understand your options, design a plan to suit your individual situation and prepare your application. Research shows that homeowners who work with housing experts like these are more successful and have better long-term outcomes. There is no cost to you for this valuable, around-the-clock service. Help is available in more than 160 languages.

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