States and Servicers Consider New Proposal for Aiding Those Underwater

Help for underwater homeowners has moved from principal writedowns to refinancing in the settlement negotiations between state attorneys general and the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers. According to a widely circulated Wall Street Journal report, the proposal was put on the table at a meeting last week between representatives from both sides. DSNews.com has received confirmation from a source involved in the negotiations that the parties are indeed considering a proposal to incorporate refinancing for underwater homeowners into an agreement to settle allegations of robo-signing and improper foreclosure practices. While the Journal concedes that discussions are ongoing and “any final outcome is uncertain,” reporters Nick Timiraos, Ruth Simon, and Dan Fitzpatrick lay out the framework for who would qualify for such assistance. Borrowers who are current on their mortgage payments but unable to take out a new loan due to the equity constraints of a typical refinance would fit the bill. The main caveat is that the borrower’s loan must be owned directly by one of the five banks involved in the