Reset Fears

Last year, speculations about ARM resets began to circulate, causing homeowners to be in a state of fear and confusion. It has been estimated that more than $200B of home adjustable rate mortgages are expected to reset into more demanding interest rates. Even worse, this will be mostly felt by owners of subprime properties. And as for Fannie/Freddie backed loans, an estimated $50B of such debt are expected to suffer from the same fate.

Finally, ARM resets are especially difficult for those who have taken out loans in 2006. Introductory periods for these mortgages general last for two years and by this year 2008 these loans are scheduled to have their initial adjustment take place. As many is sure to be aware of, the first adjustment is always the hardest to manage as they tend to be unusually higher.

Mortgage Rates Today

2008 came and the ARM adjustment luckily turned out better than most people feared. This is mostly due to the credit-market lubrication and remarkable interest rate cuts that the Federal Reserve provided. As a result, adjustment rates for these mortgages, including Fannie/Freddie loans, resulted to smaller resets and even lower rates for some.

Ways to Manage Fannie/Freddie Resets

Of course, the fact that the much-feared Fannie/Freddie resets weren't as terrible as they were portrayed doesn't spell an immediate end to homeowners' problems. Many of them had been struggling even before the reset was scheduled to take place. This could mean two things: they couldn't afford their homes right from the start or something happened to make them unable to afford it at present. Either way, any unwanted changes on their rates could lead to foreclosure.

Send a Friendly Newsletter.

Being the caring mortgage broker that you are, you can strengthen your relations with past, present, and prospective customers by sending them a friendly little newsletter that can help them manage Fannie/Freddie resets effectively.

Work out a payment scheme.

If you can send your newsletter early enough, then maybe you still have enough time to put this suggestion to effect. People who take out mortgages should always have a detailed plan as to how they can pay it off. It would be even better if they have a target date in mind as this gives their plan direction.

Review current mortgage condition.

Advise your clients to take stock of their current plight. Is their existing mortgage still helpful to them? If not, should they have their mortgage changed into a fixed or completely variable loan then? Or should they pay it off with a second mortgage? Encourage your clients to contact you so you can discuss their options with them.

Stay within budget.

With Fannie/Freddie resets, there is all the more reason for people to further tighten their belts. Now is the time to stay strictly within budget in order to save enough money for possibly higher rates on their mortgages.

Pay as much as they can.

Finally, use today's scenario to warn prospective clients about what happens when they opt to pay only the minimum required for an adjustable rate mortgage. If they pay the largest possible amount for their ARM, Fannie/Freddie resets won't affect them as much.

With these tips, you're sure to impress your clients not just with your wisdom but the amount of concern you've exhibited towards them as well.