How well is the government's loan modification working? WalletPop's four-part special report continues with profiles of some of those trying to get help. To read the overview, click here.

Kathy Partak went into loan modification armed with the powerful combination of knowledge and motivation. She had worked in the mortgage business, so she knew her rights and the right vocabulary to use. And she had a step-rate loan that was about to step up dramatically.

Add to that an on-the-job shoulder injury that left her unemployed and Partak figured she was a perfect candidate for modifying the loan on her three-bedroom home in Auburn, Calif.

But Chase Manhattan Bank denied her a modification, Partak said, telling her, "Unemployment is not a permanent hardship."

"Hopefully not!" said Partak, 42. "But it's one of the reasons they allow for on their paperwork of qualification."

How well is the government's loan modification working? WalletPop's four-part special report continues with profiles of some of those trying to get help. To read the overview, click here.

Public relations consultant Mark Bonacorso faced the good and bad news of divorce with resolve. The good: he got the 3,500-square-foot adobe in northwest Tucson. The bad: he also got the first and second mortgages and the $2,700-a-month payments.

He wanted to make it work, especially since his home was worth less than he owed.

At first, with business strong at his firm, Media Ink, this seemed feasible. Then, as the recession slowed work, forcing him to lay off his two employees in March, those payments became daunting.

Bonacorso was not looking for Bank of America, his lender, to cut his principal. He called hoping to reduce his monthly payments by combining his first and second mortgages, lowering their interest rates -- now 5.875% on his first; 7.625% on his second -- and extending the loan's term from 30 years to at least 40.

How well is the government's loan modification working? Find out in this four-part WalletPop special report, which begins with this overview and continues with three profiles of those trying to get help, which can be found here, here and here.

If the goal of the federal government's loan modification program was to frustrate applicants, then it certainly is succeeding. But if its goal was to prevent foreclosures, the effort may simply be postponing that eventuality for many.

With an estimated 3.1 million mortgages at least two months delinquent, through the end of October, just 650,994 homeowners had received adjustments through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) -- a notable uptick from past reports and a measurable step toward the Obama administration's goal of helping 4 million by 2012.

But from the halls of Congress to Internet message boards, anger rises about mixed messages, delays and denials without explanation and, most tangibly, the sharp decline in converting short-term loan adjustments into something more meaningful.

Not all mortgage rates are created equal. There is a time and a place to consider an adjustable rate mortgage vs. a fixed rate.

If you have short term plans to pay off your loan in full then an adjustable rate may save you money over the term of the mortgage. If you're planning on keeping your mortgage for a longer period of time then an adjustable rate may be too risky considering today's evolving stock market.

Check out this week's video and we'll explain a few more scenarios to help determine which option is right for you. Ryan Minick and Steve DeLon are The 2 Mortgage Guys. Subscribe to their newsletter or visit them at www.The2MortgageGuys.com.

My mother-in-law is divorced, newly retired and wants to enjoy her Golden Years. Because she just turned 62 and owns her house, she considered a reverse mortgage to turn her home equity into a steady income stream every month.

But after I gave her the highlights of a new report from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) that said, in short, reverse mortgages have the potential to start another subprime-style financial crisis, she decided to look elsewhere.

Walletpop's Mitch Lipka posted in July how the FBI issued a warning about reverse mortgages and the number of scam artists eyeing them greedily.

Score: Little guy, 1; bank, 0. It's a nice change.

Two weeks ago, a bankruptcy court in suburban New York did the formerly unthinkable: It waived a homeowner's mortgage debt after the bank trying to foreclose on the home couldn't submit any proof that it actually had a claim on the property.

According to the New York Times, when lender PHH Mortgage was asked to provide proof that it actually held the deed for the $461,263 mortgage, it couldn't give the judge any records.

If you live in Indiana and you're planning on buying or refinancing a home then you'll definitely want to file for you eligible property tax exemptions. And if you don't, then follow along and we'll explain some of the common exemptions as well as the impact it could make on your tax savings.
Ryan Minick and Steve DeLon are The 2 Mortgage Guys. Subscribe to their newsletter or visit them at www.The2MortgageGuys.com.

In the morass of glum housing news, there is one bright spot: Tantalizing low mortgage rates are continuing to entice more homeowners to refinance. The number of applications to refinance has tripled in the past year, says the Mortgage Bankers Assn.

Refinance applications soared 18% in the week ending Oct. 2 compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Assn. Rates on 30-year fixed rate conforming home loans dropped to 4.89% -- their lowest level in four months. (They hit a record low of 4.78% in the spring.) Some refinance rates are even better for borrowers with stronger credit, say experts.

So you've probably heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac but do you understand their role in the mortgage industry? We'll explain how they were created, what they do and how the taxpayers inherited these two multi-billion dollar organizations.

Ryan Minick and Steve DeLon are The 2 Mortgage Guys. Subscribe to their newsletter or visit them at www.The2MortgageGuys.com.

This week on Show & Tell with The 2 Mortgage Guys we'll explain how escrowing works when included in your mortgage payment. We'll explain the benefit and advantage of escrowing your taxes and insurance as well as what could happen with future payments.

Ryan Minick and Steve DeLon are The 2 Mortgage Guys. Subscribe to their newsletter or visit them at www.The2MortgageGuys.com.

Are you thinking about buying a home? Are you worried about missing out on the historically low interest rates? In this week's episode of Show & Tell with The 2 Mortgage Guys we'll explain the rate lock process. We'll let you know how and when to lock in your mortgage rate. Ryan Minick and Steve DeLon are The 2 Mortgage Guys. Subscribe to their newsletter or visit them at www.The2MortgageGuys.com.

So you've heard of credit scores, but do you really understand how they're calculated? In this week's episode of Show & Tell with The 2 Mortgage Guys we'll break down the credit report guidelines and give you a few tips on how to keep your score from limiting your financial options!

Ryan Minick and Steve DeLon are The 2 Mortgage Guys. Subscribe to their newsletter or visit them at www.The2MortgageGuys.com.

Are you petrified to buy a home right now? And why wouldn't you be?

The unemployment rate hit the highest it has been since 1983, the stock market is volatile and unappealing, and today, it seems people are hording their money in gold as the commodity surged passed $1,000 an ounce.

So is it a right time to invest in an abode? Yes, according to Diann Patton, the Coldwell Banker consumer real-estate spokeswoman.

Despite all the other factors that may be out of whack at the moment, there are several encouraging elements in the market at the moment that make this an ideal buyer's market..

"For one, the number of homes on the market is at an all-time high," Patton said in a recent interview with wowOwow. "State and federal governments are offering a number of tax breaks that make many nervous buyers feel right at home. Interest rates have hit lows that we haven't seen since 1964. And home prices are at levels that were seen in 2003."

Now that fall is here, it seems Americans have turned over a new leaf when it comes to their spending habits. According to this story from the Associated Press, the country is embracing a budget-conscious outlook, and that collective frugality is likely to stay with us.

It seems like a bygone era rather than just a few years ago that if you wanted a gas-guzzling SUV, new living room furniture (plus a 52-inch TV) or a week-long vacation, you could just refinance your home and suddenly have the money to do whatever you wanted. That came to a screeching halt once the real estate market plummeted, and all signs point toward the resurgence of a trend not seen since the Great Depression: Hanging onto your money.

As someone who has been without a full-time job for more than a year, I've wondered how to refinance my home while being unemployed.

It's a tough situation to be in. You can't get a home loan without a steady income, and without a job you can't afford your home.

Interest rates have been at their lowest levels during the past year, and refinancing to a fixed, 30-year mortgage would save my family some money over the long-term. But finding out how to refinance was never at the top of my to-do list; looking for a full-time job is my top priority.