Principal Reduction Alternative

 

If your home is currently worth significantly less than you owe on it, MHA’s Principal Reduction Alternative (PRA) was designed to help you by encouraging mortgage servicers and investors to reduce the amount you owe on your home.

 

Eligibility

You may be eligible for PRA if:

 

• Your mortgage is not owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
• You owe more than your home is worth.
• You occupy the house as your primary residence.
• You obtained your mortgage on or before January 1, 2009.
• Your mortgage payment is more than 31 percent of your gross (pre-tax) monthly income.
• You owe up to $729,750 on your 1st mortgage.
• You have a financial hardship and are either delinquent or in danger of falling behind.
• You have sufficient, documented income to support the modified payment.
• You must not have been convicted within the last 10 years of felony larceny, theft, fraud or forgery, money laundering or tax evasion, in connection with a mortgage or real estate transaction.

 

More than 100 servicers participate in HAMP and can evaluate homeowners for principal reduction. Participating servicers are required to develop written standards for PRA application. The largest servicers include Bank of America, CitiMortgage, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo.