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Solving the Foreclosure Crisis

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“Foreclosure filings were reported on 336,173 U.S. properties in June, the fourth straight monthly total exceeding 300,000…”

Brooklyn, NY – December 30, 2009 Foreclosures continue to rise drastically across the United States due to the recession, and have effected, and continue to affect thousands of families and individuals every day. One aspect we must take into consideration is that most people are not informed of what foreclosure means, or the process, even those who are homeowners. I believe that one step to preventing foreclosure is to educate first-time homebuyers. In addition, first-time homebuyer programs should not only assist potential buyers with financially preparing them to buy a home, but to keep the home once …show more content…

The American homeowners have been forced to accept these adjustable rate loans in order to lower their monthly payment by a few hundred dollars. In the long-term, most end up refinancing down the line and losing all the money they saved monthly on additional closing costs, to modify an adjustable interest rate loan.

It is very difficult to get a loan from a commercial bank for first-time homebuyers, and for existing homeowners who are in the process of foreclosure. The loan modification programs that are available now are bandages for a much bigger problem, the problem lies in the underlying banking system practices, polices and traditional way of doing business.

Banks now offer programs to help homeowners/homebuyers, but many times, these loans are often hard to obtain. The current programs have more stringent requirements that are unreasonable for distressed homeowners. In my opinion, the only way to rectify the foreclosure issue is to make a substantial change in how potential homebuyers and homeowners obtain loans.

In summary, a government-subsidized program with a fixed 2% interest rate will:

For Homeowners and First-time Homebuyers:

1. Dramatically decrease monthly mortgage payment and provide homeowners extra income to live each month. For example, a $575,000 mortgage at 6% interest rate is about $3,500 per month. The same loan at a 2% interest rate is approximately $2,100 per month.
2. Generate incentives for first-time homebuyers. The

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