Federal Mortgage Relief Program: Know What Is Not Taxable
In the current mortgage crisis, millions of responsible homeowners who have been making their monthly payments and fulfilling their obligations have seen their property values fall, and now find themselves unable to refinance at lower mortgage rates. As part of its efforts to ease the plight of responsible homeowners, on March 26 the Administration announced new guidance for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) programs. The changes are designed to offer assistance to up to four million struggling homeowners who, through no fault of their own, have been affected by the economic crisis. The federal mortgage relief program modifications enable mortgage lenders and servicers to work with homeowners who are unemployed or who owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth. The federal government and the private sector will share the costs. The federal portion of these modifications will be funded through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).