Fed to Unveil Mortgage Help Plan with Six US Mortgage Lenders

The mortgage markets in US are on the verge of a complete collapse. Due to the subprime mortgage crisis, the home prices are falling, so even some people with good credit ratings are having tough times as they have been left behind on their mortgage payments. Similar to many subprime mortgage borrowers, these people with good credit ratings signed up for adjustable-rate mortgages that allowed them to make smaller initial payments for first few years and later a fluctuating interest rate. Unfortunately, the “later part” that has come in now, is having a HIGH and fluctuating interest rates, which are translating into a higher repayment each month for the mortgage.

Some other “smart” borrowers borrowed mortgage loans against their rising share holding - believing that they will be able to keep up with the mortgage repayments with the “ever rising” shares prices before the higher payments began. Even in the worst case, they had assumed that the prices of the house they have bought will be sufficient enough for repaying the mortgage. But as prices have plummeted, many homeowners now owe more than their home is worth, and banks have tightened their lending practices, leaving even people with good credit ratings struggling with higher payments.

This is what happens when we thing that the entire picture is looking very rosy and goody-goody, so let’s dive in. Everyone else is taking a loan, so should I. Everyone else is buying a house, so should I. My salary will continue forever, I work for MNC.

Highly costly assumptions – leading to tremendous debacles.

“You don’t mind making a $2,000 payment when the house is going up” in value, said Steve Walsh, a mortgage broker in Scottsdale, Arizona, who has seen several clients walk away from their homes because they couldn’t refinance or sell. “When it’s going down, it becomes a weight around your neck, it becomes an anchor.”

Fortunately, the government in US is working on this issue. Just yesterday, it had declared a Tax Rebate or Tax Refund. The Hope Now alliance, which includes lenders, investors and nonprofit groups, has helped around 8 percent of subprime borrowers in the last 2 quarters of 2007 — more than its original estimate. Bank of America, Citigroup, Countrywide Financial, JPMorgan Chase, Washington Mutual and Wells Fargo, which form the Hope New Alliance are expected to announce on Tuesday at the Treasury Department that they will offer both prime and subprime borrowers who are more than three months behind a chance to halt foreclosure proceedings for 30 days and work out new loan terms. The same is cited under the name “Project Lifeline”, where the above mentioned six US banks are willing to help possible mortgage defaulters.

I wonder if something similar collapses in India – what will happen?

Will the Left backed Indian government running on the support of so many parties come to the rescue of its citizens?

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