H.R. 6076: Home Retention and Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

H.R. 6076: Home Retention and Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

Order Code RS22943
August 29, 2008
H.R. 6076: Home Retention and Economic
Stabilization Act of 2008
Edward Vincent Murphy
Analyst in Financial Economics
Government and Finance Division
Summary
The Home Retention and Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (H.R. 6076) would
defer foreclosure for eligible mortgage borrowers for up to 270 days. If passed, the bill
would give extra time to some borrowers and lenders to consider alternatives to
foreclosure, including traditional loss mitigation and participation in the new Federal
Housing Administration (FHA) program for refinancing troubled loans. Some
policymakers believe that a moratorium on foreclosures (more accurately, a delay in
executing foreclosures) could help stabilize housing markets and alleviate problems
from the subprime financial turmoil.
The bill would allow borrowers with subprime and negative amortization
mortgages to delay foreclosure proceedings if they continued to make monthly payments
established by the bill and maintained the property. Payments during the foreclosure are
based on the lesser of the original minimum payment and a rate based on current market
conditions. The bill also provides funds for housing counseling.
Introduction
This report details the Home Retention and Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
(H.R. 6076), which would delay foreclosure for up to 270 days and set minimum
payments for borrowers during the deferment period. A foreclosure deferment may be of
increased interest to policymakers because it might allow more people to consider the new
Hope for Homeowners program, passed by Congress on July 26, 2008.1 Hope for
Homeowners is a voluntary program to enable troubled mortgage borrowers and lenders
to refinance their loans through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Having
created the voluntary program, it remains to be seen if people will be willing and able to
1 Passed as H.R. 3221, Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, and enacted as P.L. 110-
289 on July 30, 2008. See CRS Report RL34623, Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008,
by N. Eric Weiss, Darryl E. Getter, Mark Jickling, Mark P. Keightley, Edward Vincent Murphy,
and Bruce E. Foote.

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participate under current financial market conditions. Meanwhile, the pace of
foreclosures continues to rise, even as another category of loans, Alt-A, approaches the
peak of its payment resets. Some have argued for a moratorium on foreclosures to give
distressed borrowers and lenders time to seek financial relief. Others might argue that
delaying foreclosures may also delay the recapitalization of the banking system and
ultimately delay restoration of stability in financial markets. Proponents might respond
that providing additional time to keep current borrowers in their homes will ultimately
reduce the magnitude of bank losses and lessen the need for recapitalization. H.R. 6076
provides one method of granting borrowers and lenders additional time to avoid
foreclosure.2
Home Retention and Economic Stabilization
Act of 2008 (H.R. 6076)
The Home Retention and Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (H.R. 6076) was
introduced by Representative Matsui on May 15, 2008.3 The expressed purpose of the bill
is to “permit deferrals on certain home mortgage foreclosures for a limited period to allow
homeowners to take remedial action, to require home mortgage servicers to provide
advance notice of any upcoming reset of the mortgage interest rate, and for other
purposes.” H.R. 6076 seeks to achieve these goals by establishing a 270 day deferment
period for eligible mortgages during which foreclosure proceedings are halted, requiring
borrowers to continue making loan payments during the deferment period, and requiring
lenders to provide borrowers notice of any upcoming payment changes due to interest rate
changes or other mortgage features.
Deferment Period
In general, the deferment period for an eligible borrower starts when the borrower
notifies the lender or servicer of an intent to exercise the right to defer foreclosure and the
deferment period lasts for 270 days. (Section 2(a)). The bill provides for an earlier end
of the deferment period if (1) the borrower ceases payment for 30 days or more, (2) the
lender (or servicer) and the borrower agree to a qualified loan modification, or (3) there
is a judicial order to end the deferment period.
Eligibility. Both the borrower and the mortgage must meet certain criteria for the
deferment period to apply. The bill defines an eligible deferred-foreclosure mortgage as
a subprime mortgage or a negative amortization mortgage originated prior to January 1,
2008, that has reached its deferment trigger. In the following discussion, the section
2 This report does not address any constitutional issues regarding a mortgage moratorium. For
a discussion of constitutional issues, see CRS Report RL34369, Constitutional Issues Relating
to Proposals for Foreclosure Moratorium Legislation That Affects Existing Mortgages, by David
H. Carpenter.
3 This section is based on the May 15, 2008 draft as referred to the House Committee on
Financial Services. As of August 22, 2008, the bill had 44 cosponsors.

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numbers refer to subsections of section 128A that would be added to the Truth in Lending
Act as described in the bill.4
(1) Subprime Mortgage Eligibility (Section 2(a)(8)). In general, subprime
mortgages have higher interest rates than prime mortgages because of greater risk of
default; therefore, subprime is defined within the bill in terms of interest rates. For first-
lien loans on residential mortgages, a loan is subprime if its interest rate equals or exceeds
the yield on treasuries of comparable maturity by more than 3 percentage points or has an
annual percentage rate that equals or exceeds the most recent conventional mortgage rate
by more than 175 basis points.5 For mortgages that are second liens on a residential
property, subprime is defined as more than 5 percentage points above treasuries of
comparable maturity or 375 basis points above the most recent conventional mortgages.
(2) Negative Amortization Mortgage Eligibility (Section 2(a)(6)). In general, a fully
amortizing loan pays off the full principal gradually over the term of the mortgage while
a negatively amortizing mortgage allows periods in which the outstanding balance grows.
H.R. 6076 defines a negative amortization mortgage as a consumer credit transaction
secured by the consumer’s principal residence with the potential for negative amortization
of the outstanding principal balance and under which the minimum monthly payment of
principal and interest required increases after the date of origination.
(3) Borrower Eligibility (Section 2(a)(5)). The bill establishes four criteria for
borrower eligibility. The borrower must (1) have an eligible mortgage, either subprime
or negative amortization; (2) reside at the mortgaged property and intend to continue to
reside there for the duration of the deferment period; (3) have an annual income not more
than twice the state median income, adjusted for family size; and (4) respond to any
reasonable inquiries from the loan’s servicers or creditors.
(4) The Deferment Trigger (Section 2(a)(3)). The date on which the borrower
becomes eligible for deferment depends on whether the eligibility of the mortgage is
based on subprime or negative amortization. For subprime mortgages, the deferment
trigger is the earlier of (1) any interest rate reset or (2) the date on which the consumer
becomes 60 days delinquent. For negative amortization mortgages, the deferment trigger
is the date of the first increase in the minimum monthly mortgage payment (after
origination). A specific rule for any mortgages that are both subprime and negative
amortization is not separately specified.
4 15 U.S.C. 1631 et seq.
5 A basis point is 1/100 of a percentage point. Defining subprime with the 3 percentage point
threshold matches the threshold used by the Federal Reserve to designate higher risk mortgages
in its Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) database. These mortgages are commonly
referred to as rate-spread mortgages and several industry sources now provide data on rate-spread
mortgages in lieu of presenting information on mortgages from the Department of Housing and
Urban Development’s (HUD) list of lenders who specialize in the subprime market. For
example, the 2007 Mortgage Market Statistical Annual - Volume I (pp. 226-227) uses the rate-
spread definition for 2004 and later when HMDA began reporting rate-spread mortgages but uses
HUD’s lender list for 2003 and earlier when rate-spread information was not available. Inside
Mortgage Publications, Bethesda, Maryland, 2007. Rate-spread mortgages for HMDA should
not be confused with mortgages subject to the Home Owners Equity Protection Act (HOEPA),
which has a higher interest rate threshold.

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Borrower Rights in the Foreclosure Deferment Period. Under the bill,
borrowers would have the right to defer any initiation of a foreclosure with respect to any
eligible mortgage until the end of the deferment period, which in general is 270 days. The
deferment applies to foreclosures initiated by both judicial and non-judicial authorities.
(section b1).
(1) Enforcement (Section 2(b)(2)). A borrower may enforce the deferment period
through a defense in any foreclosure proceeding or by bringing an action in the
appropriate court of jurisdiction.

(2) Notice to Consumers of Foreclosure Actions (Section 2(c)). The creditor or loan
servicer must notify a borrower with an eligible mortgage prior to initiating foreclosure.
The notification must be through personal service. The bill delegates to the Board the
authority to issue regulations for notifications. Possible regulations include the content
of notice, format of notice, and sample notification forms. In addition to any Board issued
regulations, the notice must include the contact information of (1) the loan servicer and
creditor, (2) any other parties to the foreclosure proceeding, such as state or local officials,
and (3) sources of information for obtaining counseling from a HUD-approved counselor.
Notice must be provided 30 days prior to instituting foreclosure proceedings and at least
once every 30 days until foreclosure becomes final.
(3) Exercising the Right to Foreclosure Deferment (Section (d)). Assuming there
has been, or will be, a deferment trigger for an eligible mortgage, the borrower notifies
the loan representative and can notify officials. The borrower must notify the loan
servicer or other creditor representative described in the creditor’s notice above of the
intent to exercise the right. (section d1). The borrower’s notification to the loan servicer
may be through any reasonable delivery means, including by mail. The borrower’s notice
must clearly identify the address of the property and must certify that at least one eligible
borrower (with respect to the mortgage) resides at the property and intends to continue to
reside at the property until the end of the deferment period. An official, such as a court
or sheriff, that receives notice (directly from the borrower or indirectly) may not take
foreclosure action during the deferment period.
(4) Lender or Servicer Acknowledgment (Section 2(d)(3)). Once the borrower has
notified the lender or loan servicer of deferment, the borrower must receive an
acknowledgment that also includes information on required payments during the
deferment period. Within 10 business days, the borrower must receive notice of the
deferment period payments and consequences of missed payments as discussed below.
Payments During the Foreclosure Deferment Period. During the deferment
period, the borrower must continue to make monthly mortgage payments. The amount
of the mortgage payment required during the deferment period depends on if the mortgage
is a subprime mortgage or a negative amortization mortgage. A borrower who fails to
make the required monthly payment risks terminating the deferment period.

(1) Deferment Payment Amounts (Section 2(e)(2)). For subprime loans, the required
monthly payment during the deferment period is the lesser of the minimum monthly
payment of principal and interest on the date the loan was originated or a monthly
payment to be calculated based on recent market conditions. The formula for this second
monthly payment calculation (recent conditions) is the monthly payment required for a

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30-year fixed-rate loan applied to the outstanding balance using an interest rate equal to
the most recent conventional mortgage rate plus 100 basis points. Section 2(g) defines
the most recent conventional mortgage rate as the fixed rate mortgage rate listed in the
Federal Reserve’s H.15 release in the week prior to the determination of the deferment
period payment.6 For example, if the most recent conventional rate reported by the
Federal Reserve is 6.30%, then the rate used to calculate the monthly payment under the
current conditions approach would be 7.30%.
Many subprime loans had a two-year introductory period followed by a 28-year
period at an adjustable interest rate to fully pay off the loan (so-called 2-28s).7 In many
cases, the introductory period’s interest rate was lower than the contemporaneous market
rate, called a teaser, so that the effective interest rate would be likely to rise for a given
borrower even if market rates were not rising. In some cases, the two-year introductory
period may also have been interest-only, in which case the monthly payment would rise
when the loan became fully amortizing even if market interest rates fell. The bill sets the
required payment during the deferment period for subprime loans as the lesser of the
original minimum payment and what a current 30-year fixed-rate mortgage might require
for the remaining balance.
For negative amortization loans, the required payment during the deferment period
is the minimum monthly mortgage payment required at the time the mortgage was
originated. A formula for any mortgages that are both subprime and negative
amortization is not separately specified.
(2) Amortization of Deferment Balances (Section 2(e)(3)). In some months (perhaps
most months), the minimum required payment during the deferment period, as specified
in Section 2(e)(2), will be less than the amount due in that month under the original terms
of the mortgage. Any difference is to be amortized over the life of the loan after the
termination of the deferment period, as specified by regulations to be issued by the Board.

(3) Prohibition of Fees (Section 2(e)(4)). No late charges can be imposed during the
deferment period. No other fees or charges may be imposed during the deferment period.
Requiring Advance Notice of Payment Reset
In addition to establishing a foreclosure deferment period, H.R. 6076 requires lenders
to notify borrowers of any upcoming changes in their mortgage payment. (Section 2(f)).
In general, borrowers must be provided approximately 120 days’ notice of a change in
their monthly payment, as described below. In general, the notice must disclose the new
payment and interest rate, how they are calculated, and a list of alternatives for the
borrower.
6 The H.15 release refers to information available through the Federal Reserve’s data download
program. Find current rates using the tabs for (selected interest rates) and (MORTG) at
[https://www.federalreserve.gov/datadownload/Choose.aspx?rel=H.15].
7 Loans with three-year introductory periods (3-27s) and other similar combinations were also
in common use.

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Timing. Borrowers must be notified during the one-month period that ends 120
days prior to reset. For subprime mortgages, the 120-day period is prior to the reset of any
introductory interest rate or prior to any adjustment to a variable interest rate. For
negative amortization mortgages, the 120-day period is prior to the first change in the
minimum monthly payment required.
Notice. Notice of payment reset must include the formula used to determine the
interest rate and minimum monthly payment, a good faith estimate of the applicable
monthly payment after reset8, and a list of alternatives for the borrower. Alternatives for
the borrower include refinancing the loan (possibly with the new mortgage rescue plan),
renegotiating loan terms with the existing lender, payment forbearance with the existing
lender, pre-foreclosure sales, and third-party payment assistance (including any assistance
from the state). The advance notice must also include contact information for HUD-
approved consumer counseling agencies and the state housing finance authority.
Duty of Borrowers to Maintain the Property
The bill contains some features to encourage borrowers to maintain the value of the
property during the foreclosure deferment period (Section 2(h)). In general, borrowers
may not destroy, damage, or impair the property, or allow the property to deteriorate.
Consumers are made liable to creditors for any violations.
Housing Counseling
The bill authorizes $200 million to be appropriated for housing counseling in
FY2008. The funds are provided to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, created
by Congress in 1978.9 The Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation now encompasses
a larger network of agencies and community organizations through NeighborWorks
America, a non-profit organization.
8 The exact monthly payment may not be able to be known 120 days in advance because the
reference interest rate that the mortgage rate is indexed to could change over a four month period.
9 Created in 1978 by P.L. 95-557 to promote reinvestment in older neighborhoods by local
financial institutions, residents, and other community stakeholders.