For all that's been said about the proposed Bank of America-Countrywide merger, what's not getting talked about is how the merger will impact existing Countrywide customers.
The short answer is that it won't.
A mortgage (and its corresponding note) is a legal contract between the lender and the lendee, signed on the date of closing. It is binding and cannot be altered by either party, even if the mortgage is transferred between lenders.
As a homeowner, the only way to "end" the contract is to satisfy the home loan with a full repayment. That can happen one of three ways:
- The home is sold and the mortgage is repaid
- The home is refinanced and the mortgage is repaid
- The home loan is paid down to $0 balance by the homeowners
Mortgage payment servicers commonly transfer home loans between each other. This happens on an everyday-basis -- not just when there's a merger, or a closure.
When mortgages are transferred, HUD requires the former lender to send a 15-day advance notice to its lendee; the new lender is required to send a similar notice.
So, for homeowners that write their mortgage checks to Countrywide every month, it's possible that the address to which you mail your payment may change, but the terms of your mortgage cannot.
(Image courtesy: The Wall Street Journal Online)
