Loan Modification
Loan Modification is arguably the most effective tool you can use if you are behind on your mortgage and in midst of a financial hardship to save your home from entering foreclosure. With a loan modification, the mortgage loan is restructured so that it is affordable and can fit comfortably into your budget rather than being an overwhelming monthly drain on already tight finances.
Loan modification agreements come in different forms but quite frequently they involve the reduction of mortgage's interest rate for a specified period of time so the homeowner can continue to make payments and stay in the home. Loans can also be modified so they have a longer amortization term (e.g. 40 year instead of 30 year) which will cause the payments to decrease. Principal writedowns are rare, but they do indeed happen where the bank actually writes down some of the principal amount.
Majority of the home loans needing modifcation today are conforming mortgage loans made by big banks such as HSBC, CitiMortgage, Countrywide, Household, IndyMac, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Washington Mutual and Bank of America and based on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines. If you are behind on your mortgage and do not see any relief in your near term future, you can benefit from a loan mod.