From Vanessa Saunders, MBA, MIMC , Broker Owner, Global Property Systems

The financial crisis coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic is causing a great deal of pain for many home owners unable to afford their monthly mortgage payments. Many lenders and financial institutions are offering forbearance programs to relieve some of the pressure.

Forbearance is when your mortgage servicer or lender allows you to temporarily pay your mortgage at a lower payment or pause paying your mortgage. Forbearance does not erase the amount you owe on your mortgage. You will have to repay any missed or reduced payments.

It is possible to defer a payment during your mortgage term, but you'll need your lender's cooperation. If you are dealing with a temporary financial hardship, ask your lender for forbearance. To help you avoid foreclosure, a lender may let you defer a payment or two.

Under forbearance, your loan payments are postponed (or reduced) but interest continues to accrue during the period of forbearance. If you don't pay the interest during that period, the interest may be “capitalized,” which means it is added to your principal balance.

Mortgage forbearance will be noted in your credit reports, and will not hurt your overall credit score. However, your credit score will be affected if you are late or miss a payment prior to forbearance approval.

The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) is a federal program of the United States, set up by the Federal Housing Finance Agency in March 2009, to help underwater and near-underwater homeowners refinance their mortgages. Unlike the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which assists homeowners who are in danger of foreclosure, this program benefits homeowners whose mortgage payments are current, but who cannot refinance due to dropping home prices in the wake of the U.S. housing market correction.

CLICK HERE to reach New York State's comprehensive list of financial assistance programs available to the public on their website at https://bit.ly/39VM5CW. Included are links to agencies and information about what's available and how to apply.

For more information  CLICK HERE