The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) was slow to start, but the Obama Administration has been pushing lenders to provide more assistance to homeowners in trouble. A mire of paperwork was preventing many homeowners from getting relief, and as a result the procedures have been simplified in some areas and forms processing streamlined. Lenders are being asked to produce results because many consumers are experiencing nothing but frustration trying to work with their mortgage companies.

The program is incentivized by the federal government. It is estimated there are 1.7 million mortgages eligible under the current program rules. This equates to 3 percent of all mortgages. The types of modifications being made include loan term extensions and lowered interest rates. In fact, some interest rates have been cut to as low as 2 percent. The median amount of the mortgage reduction is approximately $522 each month.

The program gives homeowners a temporary reduction in their mortgage payment for up to three months. The trial period serves two purposes. The first reason is to give consumers involved in the program time to gather together the necessary documentation to prove their income and justify a permanent modification. The second reason is to give the lender a chance to see if the homeowner will be able to meet the new mortgage payment on a timely basis.

As of the end of January, the U.S. Treasury Department reports that 116,000 households have completed permanent mortgage modifications. That is a small number considering the number of applications for temporary modification. Some modifications never make it through the process because the homeowners are unable to meet the income verification requirements.

Some believe it is unfortunate that many unemployed people will lose their homes because they are not eligible for the modification program. The opposite viewpoint is that the government is not obligated to keep people in homes they cannot afford. The Treasury Department reported that 60,000 loan modification accounts have been cancelled to date for one reason or another.

Those consumers who do not qualify for the HAMP program are often faced with foreclosure or short sales. A short sale is when the lender allows the homeowner to sell the house for less than the mortgage balance. It is expected that many people will simply not be able to qualify for permanent mortgage modification.

In 2010 it is expected that close to 2 million more homes will go into foreclosure. The expansion of the HAMP program is expected to help many keep their homes, but more will be foreclosed on. Program detractors say that a number of the people losing their homes should never have qualified for the original mortgage based on their incomes.

It’s just not really that easy for someone raised in today’s society to view “good debt” as anything but debt, and consequently something to be avoided. For that reason, rewiring your thinking to view what is traditionally seen as “good debt” as an “investment” can help substantially improve matters for you.

That said, you might still be wary of investments in this market. Everyone knows the stock market isn’t in the best of shape, and most other funds seem to be crumbling as well. So, what to do? Why not take out a loan? If this sounds contrary to reason, you’re still not thinking of the ways in which debt can be an investment.

When you take out a loan, the nature of the debt depends on what you spend the money on. Simply put, if you spend the money on something that will depreciate in value, such as a new car or a new computer, it’s debt. If, on the other hand, you spend that money on something that will appreciate in value, something that you could potentially resell later at a higher value (or use as collateral to improve credit), it’s an investment.

Buying one’s one home is one of the best investments that one can make, and luckily, right now is one of the most opportune times in the last few decades to make just such a purchase. Mortgages across the country are seeing all time low interest rates, and besides that, there are many tax credits being offered to first time home buyers that you stand to take advantage of if you strike now.

Ever wish you could have gotten in on the ground floor of a stock that was certain to skyrocket later on? Buying a house in today’s market is kind of like doing exactly that. At present, the nationwide average interest rate on a standard mortgage of 30 years with a fixed rate, sits at just 5.28 percent. This is the result of steady decreases over the last several years, and approaches an all-time low.

Thinking of relocating? Now’s as good a time as any for that as well, because interest rates can even dip below the already low national average as you move from state to state. For instance, Pennsylvania is currently sitting a few points below the national average, while Georgia offers one of the best opportunities in the country for a low 5.14 percent interest rate.

Managing your finances in this environment can be quite an ordeal, especially if you’re trying to rebuild your credit and savings by establishing “good debt”. However, even in the midst of the recession, there’s one market to be taken advantage of yet, and if you strike now, the benefits can change your life forever.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, which is used as a benchmark for evaluations, has fallen by 12 basis points, reducing them to 5.8%. This information comes from a national survey taken of the largest lenders. Basis points are calculated as being one-hundredth of a percentage.

Another benchmark, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, has managed to fall a total of 16 basis points, reducing their rates to around 5.51 percent.

The number of applications for mortgages continues to fluctuate. Depending on how you count the figures, the number of applications has managed to either go up or down in the past month. Factors such as the Thanksgiving holiday have to be considered; the effect that day has had on the lives of people applying for mortgages is particularly pronounced. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the raw number of applications for mortgages rose by roughly 33%.

Bob Walters, Quicken Loan’s chief economist, has mentioned his thoughts on this subject. He believes that the recent drop in mortgage rates has proven to be a huge incentive for consumers looking to refinance and obtain a fixed-rate loan. He also feels that those who are looking to enter the market in order to purchase a home have an outstanding opportunity to acquire a cheap investment.

It does seem like borrowers are looking for more security than ever before. Only 1.1% of all applicants for a home mortgage were asking for adjustable-rates in recent history. Those that already have adjustable mortgages are trying to refinance into loans with fixed-rates as well, in order to obtain the certainty they desire when it comes to making monthly loan payments.

At the same time, defaults on car loans appear to be rising, increasing worries for investors. As a result, some investors are wondering whether another major market for fixed income investors, student loans, may be the next sector to fall.

But the troubles affecting the subprime market and the auto loan market may not necessarily translate into problems for the student loan sector. Still, there is the distinct possibility that student loans could become a risky investment in the near term. That’s because student loan default rates have been increasing in the past few months. But while the defaults are cause for concern, they don’t appear to be a trend as of yet.

If, however, there is a noticeable increase in the unemployment rate, student loan defaults could escalate.

One of the advantages to investing in student loans is the fact that they are insured by the U.S. Department of Education. Private student loans are not federally insured, but applicants for those loans need to demonstrate a solid credit history in order to qualify. In addition, such private loans often require a co-signer who is legally responsible if the student should default.

Yet, the subprime loan crisis could have a potential impact on private student loans. If the housing crisis leads to a recession, new college graduates may find it difficult to find a high-paying first job. As a result, they may find it difficult to keep up with their student loan payments. So far, however, the housing situation has not fanned the flames of recession.

The housing market has been in free fall for many months, the result of plunging home prices and sluggish sales.  It’s also become increasingly difficult for prospective homebuyers to purchase houses because of stricter loan standards.   Meanwhile, the foreclosure rate has doubled over the past year and additional foreclosures are expected because of the resetting of interest rates on adjustable rate mortgages.

Legislation introduced in Congress would permit bankruptcy judges to change repayment terms on homeowner loans in an effort to help financially-troubled homeowners hang onto their homes.  Through the program, judges could lower interest rates, extend the life of the loan, or forgive part of the debt removing the need for debt consolidation.  A judge could also lower the principal of the loan to the house’s fair market value.

An organization called the Center for Responsible Lending expects such changes to assist more than half a million families keep their homes.  The plan could also save lenders money by reducing their foreclosure costs.

However, the lending industry opposes the legislation, saying that the stricter regulations are unnecessary and that the market should be permitted to correct itself.   Still, with as many as 2 million additional foreclosures predicted for the next year, such arguments may hold little sway with lawmakers.

It’s also likely that the national housing crisis will become an issue in the 2008 Presidential race.  With so many homeowners facing foreclosure, housing problems may emerge as a key topic for political discussion.

The housing crisis is not expected to lessen until the middle of next year.  Economists appear to be divided about whether the housing crisis will lead to an all-out recession.  Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve Board has pledged to do its part by doing everything possible to keep the economy humming into next year.