Federal Program Helps Keep Some Delinquent Borrowers in Their Homes

New York Times
Tuesday, September 2, 2014

A HUD program to sell its most delinquent mortgages to private investors is producing modest returns when it comes to keeping those struggling borrowers in their homes. To date, 2,049 mortgages sold to investors under the program have been reworked to allow the delinquent borrowers to remain in their homes and start making payments again, although the overwhelming majority of the 73,000 sold troubled mortgages have been foreclosed on. Roughly half of the loans remain delinquent and have yet to be reworked, sold or foreclosed. HUD began selling the mortgages to private investors in an attempt to reduce the federal government’s potential exposure. Officials have said private buyers have a better chance of reworking the mortgages because the loans are bought at a significant discount.