Home Foreclosure Help Available in Ohio

Ohio has led the nation in foreclosures. This fact has prompted many government and privately owned agency to develop home foreclosure help in Ohio. Most of this help is available to homeowners that took out risky “subprime” loans. These loans are called subprime because of the borrower’s credit history; they were unable to qualify for “prime” mortgage rates. The subprime mortgages come with a higher interest rate to cover the risk factor of the lower credit score. It also includes a limited time “teaser” rate that was much lower than the actual interest rate. Many lending institutions did not make it clear to borrowers what the actual mortgage costs were. These borrowers often find themselves looking for home foreclosure help in Ohio once their “teaser” period is over.

One privately operated agency, Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) recently developed a program to give home foreclosure help in Ohio to those with subprime mortgages. The program is called the Opportunity Loan. The program is a refinancing program that provides fixed 30-year mortgages at competitive rates to borrowers that can no longer pay their current mortgages. In order to qualify for this program, borrowers must complete four hours of HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) approved counseling. All the counseling hours must be completed prior to the close of the loan. If the borrower is far down the road to foreclosure, this program will not be able to help. Although some credit issues on the mortgage in the prior 12 months may be acceptable, it is important to seek help at the first signs of trouble paying the mortgage.

Other federal, local and private agencies can offer home foreclosure help in Ohio. Not all the programs will be available for all borrowers. It is important to research all the options and decide which one would be the best fit. The best place to start is with your lender. Lenders have the most up to date information on programs offering home foreclosure help in Ohio. Another great resource is the HUD web site. There are many tips and suggestions that will help you get your finances in order and help to avoid foreclosure. Links are available to customize the information based on your state and county.

Since the subprime mortgages have become a problem, many agencies are coming up with programs that offer home foreclosure help in Ohio and other states. It is important to research all the programs available. Don’t decide on any one program without first examining all to see which one is a better fit for your financial situation.