Borrower Information: Making Home Affordable Refinance and Modification Options

Learn About the Making Home Affordable Refinance and Modification Options.

plan to help millions of homeowners refinance or modify their mortgages.

Refinancing: Many homeowners pay their mortgages on time but are not able to refinance to take advantage of today’s lower mortgage rates perhaps due to a decrease in the value of their home. A Home Affordable Refinance will help borrowers whose loans are held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac refinance into a more affordable mortgage.

Modification: Many homeowners are struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments either because their interest rate has increased or they have less income. A Home Affordable Modification will provide them with mortgage payments they can afford.

Who is Eligible? Please use the self-assessment tools provided on this website to see if you are among the 7 to 9 million homeowners who can benefit from Making Home Affordable. Based on your results, we will provide suggestions about what you can do next.

FIND OUT IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE. Borrower Q&A

Beware of Foreclosure Rescue Scams - Help Is Free!

• There is never a fee to get assistance or information about Making Home Affordable from your lender or a HUD-approved housing counselor.
• Beware of any person or organization that asks you to pay a fee in exchange for housing counseling services or modification of a delinquent loan. Do not pay – walk away!
• Beware of anyone who says they can “save” your home if you sign or transfer over the deed to your house. Do not sign over the deed to your property to any organization or individual unless you are working directly with your mortgage company to forgive your debt.
• Never make your mortgage payments to anyone other than your mortgage company without their approval.

Borrower Information: Making Home Affordable Refinance and Modification Options

• Fact Sheet
• Summary of Guidelines
• Modification Program Guidelines
• Counselor Q&A

S. B. 1098, An Act Modifying Corporate Laws Relating To Certain Religious Corporations VIDEO

On SB-1098, AN ACT MODIFYING CORPORATE LAWS RELATING TO CERTAIN RELIGIOUS CORPORATIONS

March 10, 2009 - Joined by House and Seante Republican caucses, State Senator John McKinney speaks out against Senate Bill 1098, An Act Modifying Corporate Laws Relating To Certain Religious Corporations.

SB 1098 proposes to dictate the way the Catholic Church organizes and operates, replacing the control of the Bishops and pastors with that of a board of directors consisting of lay people elected from the parish. Once in place, this board would have administrative and financial powers, strategic planning authority, and control of the outreach and community services provided by the church.

In 1866, Connecticut enacted legislation to distinguish between the Protestant and Roman Catholic structures of churches. An 1897 Connecticut Supreme Court case, State ex rel. George Barry v. Getty et al, further supported the intent of the initial law and an excerpt of the decision reads as follows:

“It is the settled policy of this State to so frame its legislation that each denomination of Christians may have an equal right to exercise ‘religious profession and worship,’ and to support and maintain its ministers, teachers and institutions, in accordance with its own practice, rules and disciplines; and this policy is conformable to the provisions of our Constitution. Christ Church v. Trustees, etc., 67 Conn. 554, 565. In pursuance of this policy our statutes provide a scheme for the formation and conduct of corporations known as “ecclesiastical societies,” which may “hold and manage all property belonging to them, appropriated to the use and support of public worship, and may receive any grants or donations, and by voluntary agreement establish funds for the same object.”

General Statutes Sec. 2051, et seq. This scheme is arranged with special reference to the customs of the denomination of Congregationalists, which prior to the adoption of a constitution formed a sort of established church; and while furnishing ample provision for the needs of many denominations, is not consistent with the customs of some. And so we have special legislation for “societies of particular denominations,” and among these are the Roman Catholic. This legislation is contained in Secs. 2092, 2093 and 2094 [now 33-279, 280, 281].” (emphasis added)

The Court further stated: “Such special legislation is not passed unless upon application of some religious body, and is intended to be framed in accord with what the legislature understands to be the peculiar customs and wishes of the applying denomination.” (Id., at 289)