The Obama administration aims to help millions of families avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes through an aggressive loan restructuring program.  Here are the top 7 things homeowners should know about this plan.

1.    The focus of Obama’s loan modification plan is centered around monthly payments — not the long term price of the loan.  The focus is more about keeping families in their homes, and less about helping borrowers get good return on investment.

2.    The end goal of each loan modification is to get the monthly payment on each delinquent mortgage down to 31% of the borrower’s monthly income.  To that end, the government will pitch in up to 7% of family income, and the lender will take steps such as reducing interest rates and extending the loan’s term to 40 years.

3.    The government will provide cash incentives to both the lender and the borrower, to encourage use of the loan modification program.  Lenders will receive $1,000 per loan modification, plus another $1,000 per loan per year for up to three years.  Borrowers also get a $1,000 discount off the loan’s principal each year for up to five years.  Both of these incentives require the new loan terms to be active for three months, and to be kept current.

4.    This loan modification plan is only for delinquent mortgages for owner-occupied homes which are the primary residence of the owner.  The loan must have an outstanding principal balance. Both occupancy, and financial hardship, must be verified.  Analysts have commented that such measures would have prevented the current crisis if enacted sooner.

5.    Each lender and loan servicer will test each loan using a formula to determine if a loan should be modified.  The formula compares the present rate of repayment, vs. the expected rate of repayment after restructuring.  If the borrower is able to make payments more faithfully on a delinquent mortgage under a modified loan, then this is worth more to the lender, and the loan should be modified.  In tandem with the cash incentives, this will help increase participation.

6.    The Obama administration intends to offer incentives to prevent or remove second liens, but further details on this have not yet been announced.

7.    Real estate speculators need not apply.  The entire focus of this initiative is to keep families in their homes — not to aid small real estate investors.  This is great news for the affected families struggling under a delinquent mortgage, but only time will tell how the real estate market as a whole will benefit from this program.

This loan modification program for delinquent mortgages is now live and in effect.  You may have trouble getting the process started with your lending institution, if you live in an area that was hit hard by the recent real estate crash.  Some experts are concerned that lenders don’t have the the capacity to process all the borrowers who will inquire about loan modification.