Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Credit Ramifications and Loan Modifications

By Anthony M. Flores

If you are in foreclosure and have high mortgage payments, a loan modification may be a blessing for you. You may qualify for a loan modification and relieve yourself of a lot of misery being in foreclosure.

While trying to achieve a loan modification, you may have credit implications. Not to worry, they can easily be remedied over time.

Lenders are very unforgiving to loan defaulters who do not pay their home loans back.

If you have a high credit ranking and your loan goes past 30 days, expect a drop of up to one hundred points on your credit score.

Your credit score will not be affected if you are current while doing a loan modification. However, if you allow your payment to lapse it may drop your credit score. A drop in your credit may reduce your chances of getting better credit offers in the future.

On a positive note, if you are thinking of a loan modification program, then it may surely help you to achieve your goal of lowering your monthly household bills.

The objective of a loan modification is to lower your payments to be manageable and slowly put you in a position to increase your credit score by making your payments on time every month. Most loan modifications are fixed for a period of two to five years. This period of time is perfect amounts of time to get you caught up and reestablish your credit at the same time.

A short sale or credit counseling can be much more detrimental to your credit than a late mortgage payment.

A loan modification plan is a sure remedy in crunch situations, as it can help you get rid of your remaining balance and at the same time, save you from the humiliation of losing your home and your credit. Its really easy to see if you qualify for a loan modification. Just gather your tax returns for the last two years, w-2s for the last two years, last two most recent bank statements, recent paystub, along with a hardship letter and financial statement that lists all of your income minus your expenses. Be prepared and ask a lot of questions before proceeding. Most important of all, investigate the company before you consider doing business with them.

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