Know before you borrow

10 FAQs on mortgage loans for homeowners and buyers

help for mortgage troubles

If you're behind in payments or underwater with your mortgage, there are programs to help.

Maryland

For people seeking to refinance, the state Community Development Administration has three programs, said Bill Ariano, CDA deputy director:

Lifeline, offering a 100 percent mortgage insurance program for ARMs not yet defaulted but that will reset at higher rates.

Homesaver, refinancing up to 100 percent of value for people with dinged credit and who've missed a payment or two.

Bridge to Hope, a maximum $15,000 loan to help people with delinquent mortgages get back on their feet so they can catch up. See mdhope.org for state assistance and referrals.

FHA

Hope for Homeowners, which extends through Sept. 30, 2011, in which lenders write down a portion of the loan and the mortgage is 30-year fixed rate.

FHA Secure, which for now is set to expire at the end of December, which provides FHA-insured mortgages to borrowers with non-FHA ARM.

Hope Now, a hotline that helps callers contact their loan servicer or a local housing counselor. The number is 888-995-4673.

Information

Homeowners can also contact a nonprofit housing or credit counseling service to help with lender negotiations. Locally, a number of organizations, including St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, are working with consumers. Go to livebaltimore.com/hb/ForeclosureAssis/.

Reputable services also can be found, state-by-state, on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Web site, and the Homeownership Preservation Foundation has a 24/7 toll-free hot line: 888-995-HOPE (4673).