In his State of the Union address on Jan. 24, President Obama laid out a Blueprint for an America Built to Last, calling for action to help responsible borrowers and support a housing market recovery.
 
  Some Key Aspects of the President’s Plan Are:

Broad Based Refinancing to Help Responsible Borrowers Save an Average of $3,000 per Year: The President’s plan will provide borrowers who are current on their payments with an opportunity to refinance and take advantage of historically low interest rates, cutting through the red tape that prevents these borrowers from saving hundreds of dollars a month and thousands of dollars a year.

This plan, which is paid for by a financial fee so that it does not add a dime to the deficit, will:

  • Provide access to refinancing for all non-GSE borrowers who are current on their payments and meet a set of simple criteria.
  • Streamline the refinancing process for all GSE borrowers who are current on their loans.
  • Give borrowers the chance to rebuild equity through refinancing.

Homeowner Bill of Rights: The President is putting forward a single set of standards to make sure borrowers and lenders play by the same rules, including:

  • Access to a simple mortgage disclosure form, so borrowers understand the loans they are taking out.
  • Full disclosure of fees and penalties.
  • Guidelines to prevent conflicts of interest that end up hurting homeowners.
  • Support to keep responsible families in their homes and out of foreclosure.
  • Protection for families against inappropriate foreclosure, including right of appeal.

First Pilot Sale to Transition Foreclosed Property into Rental Housing to Help Stabilize

Neighborhoods and Improve Home Prices: The FHFA, in conjunction with Treasury and HUD, is

announcing a pilot sale of foreclosed properties to be transitioned into rental housing.

Moving the Market to Provide a Full Year of Forbearance for Borrowers Looking for Work: Following the Administration’s lead, major banks and the GSEs are now providing up to 12 months of forbearance to unemployed borrowers.

Pursuing a Joint Investigation into Mortgage Origination and Servicing Abuses: This effort marshals new resources to investigate misconduct that contributed to the financial crisis under the leadership of federal and state co-chairs.

Rehabilitating Neighborhoods and Reducing Foreclosures: In addition to the steps outlined above, the Administration is expanding eligibility for HAMP to reduce additional foreclosures, increasing incentives for modifications that help borrowers rebuild equity, and is proposing to put people back to work rehabilitating neighborhoods through Project Rebuild.

About The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR)

The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR) is the largest not-for-profit trade association in Staten Island, N.Y.

SIBOR exists to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business successfully and ethically; and to promote the preservation of the public’s right to own, transfer and use real property.

Comprised of over 1,600 members, SIBOR serves real estate agents, brokers and affiliated professionals throughout the borough and surrounding areas. 

SIBOR is the provider of the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service (SIMLS), which works as a clearinghouse through which more than 250 local real estate firms exchange information on properties they have listed for sale. Together, its members participate in over 3,000 real estate transactions every year.

All SIBOR members belong to the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

SIBOR may be reached at 718-928-3220 and visited online at http://siborrealtors.com/.

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