Forbearance: Tread Lightly
Unemployment numbers keep climbing with the latest figures showing another weekly uptick this time by nearly 3 million. The consequences are many and the real estate and mortgage industries are no stranger. At the same time, the term “forbearance” has entered the stage. If someone is unemployed and they’re looking at how they’re going to make the mortgage payments down the road, the ol’ savings account will take a big hit as homeowners look for ways to satisfy the mortgage company without losing the home. One of these ways to take a mortgage payment pause is with a forbearance agreement. But homeowners need to be fully aware of the impact of such an agreement.
A forbearance is a formal agreement between the lender and the borrower. Borrowers can’t decide to take a mortgage payment holiday on their own. Doing so would start the foreclosure clock ticking. And lenders are loathe to foreclose. It’s the very last thing on their list when trying to work with struggling homeowners. Lenders have employees whose sole job is to provide workout solutions for those having problems making the mortgage payment.
A forbearance agreement can be arranged if the borrowers meet certain standards such as documenting their situation as well as the lender seeing there is light at the end of the financial tunnel. If both can be met, a forbearance may be an option. Such an agreement will allow the borrowers to suspend the monthly mortgage payment for a specific period. Yet with a forbearance, the payments don’t go away, they payments accrue during the forbearance period. If the mortgage payment is $2,500 and the agreed-upon period is for six months, that means at the end of six months, not only will payments resume but there’s a $15,000 bill that comes due. That’s the tough part. If someone is having difficulty paying $2,500 where will the $15,000 come from? There are other options such as a Loan Modification that can help and recent changes to agency guidelines may arrange for the past due amounts be added back to the existing mortgage.
Another major consideration with a forbearance agreement is the hit credit reports and credit scores take. On the credit report, late payments will be listed. Late payments on a mortgage does most of the damage to credit scores. Further, if a forbearance agreement is executed, that too will be listed on the credit report. While the borrowers get a breather on making the monthly payment, the credit report will list the forbearance filing. And, at the same time, many lenders who see a forbearance listed on a credit report won’t approve a new loan, be it for a purchase or a refinance for up to a year. Or even longer, it’s entirely up to the lender.
Deciding whether or not to ask for a forbearance agreement should be made alongside your loan officer or financial professional. There are consequences of such a filing that many may not know about. Yes, there is a payment reprieve and foreclosure is avoided, but the filing will negatively impact a credit report. There can be other options available for struggling homeowners. This isn’t something to do on your own volition. There’s a lot more help out there than you might think.
Written by David Reed for www.RealtyTimes.com Copyright © 2020 Realty Times All Rights Reserved. Reed is from Austin, Texas and is the author of The Real Estate Investor’s Guide to Financing, Your Guide to VA Loans and Decoding the New Mortgage Market. A Senior Loan Officer and Mortgage Executive for more than 20 years, he has also appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox Business, Fox and Friends and the Today In New York show.
