The U.S. economy was hit hard by the global financial meltdown. In the housing sector, the crisis is still wreaking havoc. Homeowners are having a hard time paying mortgages leading to increasing cases of foreclosures.

In order to help struggling homeowners, President Barack Obama has strengthened the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). This agency has become more available for American homeowners who need to renegotiate the terms of their mortgage loans to save their homes. The objective of the administration is to help people to easily pay their monthly mortgages. The interference has benefited both lenders and borrowers.

Over the past years, the FHA has grown considerably. This is partly due to the ever tightening credit market. Because commercial loans are very difficult to obtain nowadays, more and more people are seeking FHA-backed or FHA-insured loans. The increasing number of borrowers also led many lenders to seek a partnership with the FHA.

The agency does not provide the housing loans. It is still the commercial lenders, banks, or mortgage companies that provide the loans. The role of the FHA is to guarantee or insure a certain percentage of these loans.

Overview of FHA Guidelines

Getting an FHA approved loan is not as simple as you think. You need to qualify and meet some requirements so that you can become eligible for an FHA mortgage loan. You have to follow certain guidelines in order to get an approval. So before you apply, you need to carefully read and understand the terms and conditions of FHA loans offered by lenders.

First of all, you need to show a hardship letter. This letter provides a detailed account of your financial situation. The letter must also contain a promise that you will be able to keep up with the regular payments if your mortgage loan can be modified.

There are also other requirements that you need to submit. You have to produce bank statements to show the actual position of your finances. Your banking statement can hasten the approval process especially if it clearly shows that you really need FHA loan modification. The key to fast track the approval process is to submit all documentations required by the lender. Make sure to complete the documents and fill up all required forms correctly in order to avoid problems with your FHA-backed loan modification application.

Your home will be appraised by a certified FHA appraiser. The appraiser will look into your home to determine its safety. The condition of the roof, access areas, heating facilities, drainage, crawl spaces, and attic spaces will be evaluated.

All loan modification programs have their own guidelines. These guidelines are the governing rules that should be followed by borrowers. To ensure that you can get a quick approval for your FHA loan modification application, you have to follow these guidelines. The documents must be complete as per the guidelines set by the lenders.

You can effectively fight foreclosure by getting an FHA-backed mortgage loan. But you need to know the guidelines of the agency. You should also exert more effort in following up your papers to get updates about your application.