When you request a loan modification, any or all of the original details agreed upon in the loan are changed. These changes might include the amount of your monthly payments, a change in interest rate, or even an extension of the term of your loan.

Loan modifications can be particularly helpful in keep you from facing a potential foreclosure on your mortgage. If you can get your lender to reduce the payments, you will be able to afford to keep them made on time. But, a mortgage modification isn’t going to help if you still won’t be able to keep up with the payments each month.

The best time to try to get a mortgage modification is right when you realize that you’re going to have long term financial problems that will prevent you from making your payments. If you get a modification soon enough, it can keep you from getting so far behind that you won’t be able to get caught up.