The Home Affordable Refinance Program helped nearly 1.1 million homeowners refinance in 2012 — nearly as many as during the three previous years combined — and is still going strong. As many as 2 million additional homeowners may be eligible for the HARP program, which has been extended through 2015. HARP, which is intended to help underwater borrowers and homeowners with little or no equity refinance in order to take advantage of record low interest rates, got a major boost when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac agreed to release lenders who sign off on a HARP refinance from some legal liabilities associated with the original loan. The program only helps borrowers whose loans were sold to Fannie and Freddie before June 2009, but some Democrats are hoping to remove barriers that have prevented many homeowners from taking advantage of the program. Source: L.A. Times.
