Many Americans bought into the “American Dream” of home ownership only to be staring down large house payments years after signing on the dotted line. And for many, the monthly house payment is the single largest expense to pay every 30 days, leaving very little money left over for other necessities and bills. If your house payment is too high, there are things you can do to get some relief. Knowing where to look is the first step, and then deciding what will work for your family comes next.
The top two ways to change your house payment, and get on a more affordable repayment plan are to:
• Ask your lender to rewrite the note. This is done by modifying the mortgage, and the rewrite typically includes lowering the interest rate. Once the interest rate is lower, the payment will go down and become more manageable.
• Refinance your note with a new lender. If your current lender is not willing to help by modifying your mortgage, a different lender may be willing to refinance the note on your behalf.
This will require an approval for a new loan, which means you need to provide income verification and possibly have an appraisal of your home done. Most refinanced loans are only made if there is sufficient equity in the home to cover the refinance, as many lenders only offer refinance options for around 80% of the home’s value. So if your home has a lot of equity in it, meaning it is worth significantly more than you owe, you may be able to use that equity to your advantage by refinancing your existing mortgage.
When neither of these work, you can also consider filing for bankruptcy. While you still have to make your house payment if you want to keep your house, even if you file bankruptcy, what bankruptcy does is eliminate or reduce your other bills so your house payment is no longer out of reach. When you have fewer things on your plate to pay each month, a once unaffordable house payment suddenly becomes within your budget. Whatever your need or circumstances, we can help.
For more information about how to manage debt, contact us at www.DsouzaLegalGroup.com. We will help by coming up with solutions that work for you.
