If you are in dilemma where might miss a payment, or will have trouble keeping regular with your current payment, call you mortgage lender in a first step process. If you to default on your loan, it will cost the lender a great deal of money. So before you are foreclosed on the lender will be willing to help keep you in your house. In order to do this, you will need to know how to negotiate a mortgage modification with your lender to get the most out of your loan.

In order to get the most out of your loan modification you must come to the table with a thorough understanding of where you are financially and where you need or would like to be. You can negotiate your mortgage modification better with a few easy steps.

1. Know Your Finances

This is an important step. Know what you can afford and what your can trim back. It would even be a good move to ask for a financial analyst or counselor at a non-profit organization to help you review your expenses. In this instance a counselor will also help you to find a feasible negotiation.

2. Contact Your Lender

Be open and honest with your lender. Put pride aside and be willing to work through a situation that will in the long run be beneficial to both you and your mortgage lender.

3. Know How You Will Be Able to Pay Off Your Loan

You have to have an answer to this question. It is really step on in the actual negotiation process.

4. Know if Your Situation is Temporary or More Long Term

If your financial situation is a temporary setback, instead of asking for a complete loan modification ask your lender to allow a postponed payment or a forbearance which will allow leniency on a payment or two until you can get back on track.

5. Understand Viable Options First

If you have an ARM, adjustable rate mortgage, and will be unable to maintain that payment, you can ask your mortgage lender to postpone the ARM for a couple of years. Many mortgage companies are automatically pushing ARMS back, for as long as 5 – 10 years.

For a loan modification your lender will ask for a complete expense report detailing income and expenses.

You can easily learn how to take the first steps to negotiating a loan modification with your mortgage lender, but you must be able to prove you will be able to maintain the modification or allowance.