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Many homeowners may be struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments because they have a second lien. Even when a first mortgage payment is affordable, the addition of a second lien can sometimes increase monthly payments beyond affordable levels. Second liens often complicate or prevent modification or refinancing of a first mortgage.
The 2nd Lien Modification Program (2MP) offers homeowners a way to lower payments on their second mortgage. 2MP offers homeowners, their mortgage servicers, and investors an incentive for modifying a second lien. Servicers and investors may also receive an incentive for extinguishing a second lien, forgiving all of the debt a homeowner owes.
Homeowners must provide consent to share their first lien mortgage modification information with their second lien mortgage servicer, if they are different. Since 2MP is meant to be complementary to the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), a homeowner must have their first lien modified through HAMP before the second lien can be modified under 2MP.
Under 2MP, with their investor’s guidance, a mortgage servicer may:
- Reduce the interest rate to one percent for second liens that pay both principal and interest (amortizing);
- Reduce the interest rate to two percent for interest-only second liens;
- Extend the term of the second lien to 40 years;
- If the principal was deferred (through forbearance) on the first lien, a servicer must forbear the same proportion on the second lien;
- If the principal was forgiven on the first lien, in accordance with the Principal Reduction Alternative program, a servicer must forgive the same proportion on the second lien; although a servicer may, in its discretion, forgive a larger portion or all of the second lien and will receive incentives for doing so.
A second lien is eligible for 2MP if:
- the corresponding first lien has been modified under the Obama Administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program and the second lien servicer is participating;
- it was originated on or before January 1, 2009;
- it does not have an unpaid principal balance (at consideration for the modification) of less than $5,000 or a pre-modification scheduled monthly payment of less than $100;
- it has not yet been modified under 2MP;
- it is not subordinate to a second lien or is not a home equity loan in first lien position;
- it is not a second lien on which no interest is charged and no payments are due until the first lien is paid in full; and
- the second lien servicer is in possession of a fully executed 2MP modification agreement or trial period plan by December 31, 2012; or the second lien is not insured, guaranteed, or held by a Federal government agency (e.g. FHA, HUD, VA, and Rural Development).
List of Participating Servicers
Bank of America (including Countrywide)
BayView Loan Servicing, LLC
Chase (including EMC and WaMu)
Citi Mortgage, Inc.
iServe Servicing, Inc.
Servis One dba BSI Financial Services
Wells Fargo (including Wachovia)
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