Loan clinic the cure for mortgage ailments?

Filed in archive becoming a better borrower on August 13, 2009

Pres. Barack Obama has put an increasing amount of pressure on mortgage companies to restructure the loans of homeowners who are struggling to make their monthly payments. Many homeowners, though, have complained that they've struggled to receive any assistance from their mortgage companies.

Many communities are reacting to this by holding mortgage clinics. During these clinics, homeowners gather to meet with mortgage counselors. The hope is that these counselors can restructure the mortgage loans of the homeowners, perhaps leaving them with a lower monthly mortgage payment, one that they don't have to struggle as mightily to make.

One example of this is the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America's Save the Dream Tour, which recently stopped in Atlanta. Forbes Magazine covered the event, which left some homeowners thrilled, and others ticked.

Those who were happy shaved dollars off their monthly mortgage payment, including one person interviewed who slashed $500 off his monthly payment. The ticked-off crowd included a woman who waited an entire day only to be told that there was nothing that could be done for her.

These events are certainly worthwhile. Problem is, they only represent drops in the bucket when it comes to the huge numbers of people across the United States who are struggling to make their mortgage payments. With the economy in the shape it is, with so many people losing their jobs, more and more homeowners are falling behind on their mortgage payments. Mortgage clinics will undoubtedly help some of these folks.

But many more, unfortunately, will lose their homes.