Are you a homeowner in the United States looking for the American Dream? If so, you may be in trouble if you still have an ARM, or Adjustable Rate Mortgage. As you likely know, the last year or two has been very bad for the housing market and ARM rates are one area in which the problem got worse. Yet, many of those who did pick up a loan since 2002 have had that loan adjust already. This is the shock that has hit the housing market. There may be more shock coming.

What’s A Mortgage Reset?

Mortgage resets adjust the interest rate on the home loan a person with this type of loan has.  For example, let’s say that you have a home loan with an interest rate of 6 percent for the first three years.  You picked up that loan in 2006 and have since had no problems paying your mortgage loan. Now, the reset period is coming to an end and you are worried. When your loan resets, what is the likelihood that the loan will be too expensive for you?

There is a new wave of mortgage resets set to hit the country in the next months, and will likely continue through 2010 as a number of “option ARM’s” were put in place. These are subprime loans and some are not.  The point is, they are adjusting in the coming months which will cause a new wave of homeowners unable to pay their payments.

Do Something Now

If you are a homeowner with an option ARM or any other adjustable rate loan, now is the best time for you to make a change. What you will need to do is get that loan refinanced as soon as possible, before the loan is in fact adjusted.

FHA can help you to get into a more affordable loan if your loan has recent or will do so prior to the end of 2010.  This will be an outstanding opportunity for you to get a lower interest rate, fixed loan that likely could save you a substantial amount of money.

The worst thing you can do is wait it out. Right now, interest rates are very low. Even those with credit scores that are low may qualify (currently the FHA will accept credit scores at 580 or above.) You have the opportunity to save substantially.

Estimates are that some $500 billion worth of mortgages will be affected in the next four years by these adjustable rates. The FHA can help many to get out of this problem.

FHA Secure is an FHA program that you should know about. It was specifically designed to tackle some of the largest problems in the housing industry today and it has done well at accomplishing this, thus far. While I believe there is much more work to do, FHA Secure is a strong program designed to provide people with assistance.

Let’s look at some numbers.

The FHA Secure program is now a year old. During the last year, this program has helped refinance the mortgages of more than 325,000 Americans. That is a considerable number.  The goal of the program is to help at least 500,000 people y the end of 2008 and it appears to be on track to accomplish that.

FHA Secure can help you, too.  This is not a new loan and it is not something that is a free ride. Rather, it gives help to those who need to get into new loans the opportunity to do so. Many homeowners have the ability to pay on their mortgages but may have fallen behind and cannot get caught up. Others have had adjusted rates on their ARM loans which has caused them to fall behind or struggle. These people can pay for their loans with help getting into a better loan. FHA Secure seems to be just what is necessary to accomplish this.

FHA Secure lends help to those needing to refinance their home loans but have fallen behind on their mortgage payments.  Prior to the start of the program in August of 2007, many people were losing their homes after just missing a few payments or being late, after their rates had adjusted and they suffered from an initial shock of that adjustment.

In July of this year, FHA Secure also helped many people that were already at the default stage of the foreclosure of their homes. By expanding who they could help, the program expanded the opportunities for good Americans to remain in their homes.

The program is a good one and will continue to provide this type of help for the months ahead. If you find yourself in this type of situation, contact an FHA loan specialist to get help. They will work with you to determine if your loan situation helps you to qualify for this readjustment. Many American homeowners are able to find help here and can stay in their homes as a result.

Homeowners who are struggling to make payments in New Jersey may have an opportunity to get out of their bad mortgages easier than they think. As a proponent for helping those who are struggling with home loans, I must first say that if you are on the brink, contact an FHA loan adviser to find out what your options are. If you are in New Jersey, consider this opportunity.

The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York is a large bank providing funds to many of the 200 local banks in the region, including those in New Jersey. The bank has recently announced an initiative to offer some help to those who are struggling with their current mortgages.

The initiative is called HARP, or Housing Assistance and Recovery Program. The Federal Home Loan Bank is providing some $6 millions to Magyar Bank, which is based in New Brunswick. There, the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens will provide counseling to those homeowners it has identified as being in danger of foreclosure. Once these people have been identified, the company (working under The First Baptist Community Development Corporation) negotiates on the homeowner’s behalf with their lender.

They use the proceeds from the $6 million loan to offer up to 70 percent of the loan’s value to the lender. Most lenders are happily taking 70 percent knowing that these individuals are on the verge of foreclosing. The lender will simply write off the remaining 30 percent as a loss and turn the loan over as a paid in full loan (which Magyar Bank will now hold as mortgage holder.)

Sound confusing? It is, but there is more. Magyar Bank holds the loan, but the homeowners are now actually renters in the home, and will make payments to First Baptist. The rent amount is based on what the homeowner can afford to pay. First Baptists works closely with these now tenants so they can improve their credit scores and their financial outlook. Then, once the tenants are ready, they will hopefully be able to refinance the loan into a new one with better terms.

The organization is working with other organizations in the New York area, as well as other areas of New Jersey to offer similar opportunities. There are several families making the transition into new mortgages currently.

Is this the right option for you? If a program like this is offered, and you have exhausted all possibilities with other loans, including FHA loans, then consider it. Work hard to get back ownership of your home though!