Consumers need to be aware that there is a big difference between getting a loan modification and going through a short sale. Both of these methods may help a homeowner avoid foreclosure. They are taken care of through assessment and approval in the loss mitigation department of your lender. However, they will not have the same result with respect to your financial situation.

A loan modification is where your bank agrees to modify one or more of the conditions on your original loan. The more common types of loan modification are reduction of monthly payments, lowered interest rates or even forgiveness of late fees and penalty charges that were added to the balance of your loan.

If you are looking into a short sale, you will actually sell your house. You will get your bank to agree to a sales price lower then what is owed on the mortgage. Once the the sale is completed, the bank will forgive the rest of the money owed.

Three benefits of loan modifications are:

1. The foreclosure proceedings will be stopped right away. You will be able to stay in your own home and not have to uproot your family. 2. By reducing your monthly payments you are giving yourself the chance to get back on your feet financially. 3. You are going to be able to control the damage done to your credit report.

Three drawbacks of loan modifications:

1. You could get your mortgage payments and fees reduced, however, it might not be good enough to help you get back on track. 2. If you miss a payment in the new agreement you will find yourself facing foreclosure again. 3. You may only get your monthly payments reduced for a short period of time. After that period of time is over your payments could go right back up to where they were. If you are not prepared you will be facing financial problems.

Advantages of doing a short sale:

1. A short sale will allow you to get out of debt rapidly. You will not have to deal with monthly mortgage payments and you can have the chance to get back on your feet financially. 2. If your house is worth much less than you owe to your lender, a short sale is probably the only way you can sell your house and get out from under your debt. 3. Most lenders will not come after you for any loss they experience from a short sale. Your debt gets eliminated completely.

Three downsides of short sales:

1. There is a possibility that you bank will report their loss to the IRS. This could create phantom income for your and mean that you may have to pay income taxes on their write-off. 2. As you sell your home with a short sale, you will need to find someplace new to live. This could prove to be difficult, as many landlords will not look kindly on a record of past due payments. 3. Chances for you getting a new mortgage anytime soon are very slim. Many lenders do not have much faith in consumers that had outstanding debt forgiven.

There are pros and cons to both methods of stopping possible foreclosure. If you choose to go with a loan modification you will be able to stay in your home and repay your debt over time. Most homeowners prefer this solution rather than wiping out your debt with a short sale and starting from scratch.

Once of the things American president Barak Obama, along with his administration have done is to implement a loan modification plan. Basically, the plan focuses on the lenders. By providing incentives in order to have them modify the terms and conditions of an existing loan. This makes it easier on homeowners to meet the monthly installments. Before this plan was implemented it was very difficult for homeowners to get their mortgage altered, because most of the cost that were involved had to be covered by the lenders themselves.

How to determine if you qualify

In order for you to qualify for the loan modification there are certain criteria that you must meet. Firstly, qualifying Columbus houses must be your main residence and you need to have bought it prior to 2009. Depending on the area in which you live the loan you apply for cannot be more than $730,000. If the house is located in a more high cost area then the loan limit might be somewhat higher than the aforementioned amount.

Also, the loan is only available on the first mortgage. It does not apply to any subsequent mortgages you may have. Your mortgage has to be more than 31% of your monthly income if you are to qualify for the loan modification program. And lastly, you need to be able to show that you are facing financial difficulty which means you are having problems paying your mortgage. Whether it is because of the loss of a job, less working hour, illness, separation and/or divorce, or whatever else.

After qualification comes the process

The first thing you need to do is to get in contact with the lender. Once you have done so, you then need to request the modification plan. Some lenders who are not part of the Obama plan will probably refuse. Those who are, and there are many, will agree to the plan.

The next thing that you need to do is to provide proof of your income before tax. Your last tax return that you filed will also be needed. You will also have to provide any info regarding any assets or savings that you might have. Statements depicting your first, and if necessary, second mortgage payments and/or your home equity line of credit will be needed so ensure that you are prepared. Another thing you should take the time to do is draw up a budget that shows clearly what your out of pocket expenses are each month. It also needs to include the amounts that you pay toward your credit card and any loans.

It is only once you have assembled the required documentation that you would then move on to the final stage, which is negotiating the terms and ensuring that all the relevant documents have been correctly completed.

Modification is the better choice:

When you refinance your mortgage all the closing costs and other fees become your responsibility. However, when it comes to the Obama plan there are no fees and even if you are late with your installments the late fees, or interest, can be waived. Unless your credit record is impeccable, it is highly unlikely that you will be granted refinance, because of the present state of the credit climate. So, cost and the ability to qualify are two of the main reasons why you should investigate the option of loan modification.

If you are late with payments, or you are not able to afford remaining in your home because of the usual costs when taking out a loan, then loan modification is just what you need. This is not to say that refinance is never a viable option, because it is. For one thing, you are able to gain access to the cash in your home equity through refinancing. Also, if you have equity in the home and you would like a better interest rate, this can be achieved through refinancing. And what is more, you can apply for the improved rates even if you do not qualify for the loan modification plan.

If you want to save between eight hundred and two thousand dollars then you will need to negotiate the modification instead of having a service provider or lawyer do it on your behalf. It is easy for you to do it because of the incentives available to lenders. As long as you can offer relevant assurance of timely payments each month you should not encounter any problems.