Even though millions of dollars have gone into refinancing mortgages through government-assisted programs such as the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) between April 2009 and June 2010, foreclosures are still on the rise. To combat real estate devaluation, the FHA continues its plan in 2010 by reopening the HAMP plans to assist homeowners in getting their home's value back in line with their mortgage costs.
The decision to refinance a house is almost as big as the decision to obtain a mortgage and buy a house. This is mostly because the refinancing process is almost identical to obtaining original financing. Homeowners' experiences will vary, and different lenders may have different ways of defining marketing terminology, such as "no-cost" refinancing.