I posted this on my Facebook page yesterday and a friend I know pretty well messaged me to ask if my account was hacked. The headline looks like spam, but it's not.
The treasury department has funded a program called Hardest Hit Fund. They're disbursing almost eight billion dollars to 11 states hardest hit by the housing crisis. This may be a great opportunity for homeowners who don't qualify for any of the HARP programs.
I wouldn't have known about it save for an email from my credit union. It's a mortgage reduction program. In my state of Florida, it offers up to $50,000 in direct mortgage reduction to homeowners who are current in their mortgages, upside down and meet certain income limits.
I went to fill out an application the minute it went live and I figured all the spots would be taken within hours. In Florida, they are reducing only 25,000 mortgages. But today, I went back to the site to get information and the application process was still open.
To find out the details for your state, go to the Treasury Department's "Hardest Hit Fund" website.
The participating states are in green.
Hardest Hit Fund programs vary state to state, but may include the following:
-Mortgage payment assistance for unemployed or underemployed homeowners
-Principal reduction to help homeowners get into more affordable mortgages
-Funding to eliminate homeowners’ second lien loans
-Help for homeowners who are transitioning out of their homes and into more affordable places of residence
I put in my application Wednesday morning. They say it takes a while to process but the initial application was easy. I'll have to provide some documents later, on request.