City of Menlo Park’s Purchase Assistance Loans, Emergency Rehab Loans, CDBG Loans and Rehab Loans

The City of Menlo Park Housing and Redevelopment Department was eliminated when the State of California dissolved redevelopment agencies in January, 2012. The City of Menlo Park continues to service their Purchase Assistance Loans, Emergency Rehab Loans, CDBG Loans and Rehabilitation Loans by contracting with Hello Housing for loan servicing activities.

As of March 1, 2013, all loan payments began being administered by Hello Housing. If you need assistance or have questions regarding you Purchase Assistance Loan (PAL), Emergency Repair Loan (ERL), CDBG Loan or Rehab Loan with the City of Menlo Park, please contact Jennifer Duffy at Hello Housing. She can be reached at (415) 863-3036 or via email. Please submit payments to:

Hello Stewardship – MP
1242 Market Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

Unfortunately, at this time, the City is no longer issuing further housing loans.

Guidelines for Refinancing

For ERL, CDBG Loan or Rehab Loans, if the borrower chooses to refinance, he/she must pay off the loan in order to be in compliance with the City’s requirements. For PAL loans, if the borrower chooses to refinance, he/she must either pay off the loan or meet program requirements for subordination to a new senior mortgage(s).

Per the Program Guidelines, the City will subordinate PAL loans to a refinanced senior mortgage(s) if all of the following conditions/requirements are met at the time of the request for subordination:

1. The refinancing of the existing senior mortgage(s) is for the purpose of reducing the monthly housing expense; and
2. The refinancing is for no more than the amount of the balance of the senior mortgage(s) plus the cost of refinancing; and
3. No cash will be taken out of the refinance; and
4. There is sufficient equity in the property so the total loans-to-value is at the same amount after the refinance as it was when the property was purchased.

If all four conditions above are applicable, the borrower should contact Sarah Shimmin at Hello Housing by calling (415) 738-7833 or emailing sarah@hellohousing.org to start the subordination process. For BMR homeowners, Hello Housing will provide the lender a letter stating the BMR restricted value of your home and any other documentation related to the Below Market Rate property. Sample subordination and program documents are available for lenders upon request to help determine if the 1st loan can work in conjunction with the City of Menlo Park’s BMR program.

Lenders will be required to submit the following documentation to Hello Housing as part of the subordination eligibility screening:

• 1003 completed loan application
• 1008 or other loan underwriting form indicating amounts and terms of all financing
• A preliminary title report
• Property Appraisal Report (if not a City of Menlo Park Below Market Rate home). If the property is a Below Market Rate (BMR) home, the City will provide the appraised value of the home per the BMR Deed Restrictions and BMR Program Guidelines
• A Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure

Subordination package submittals can be emailed to sarah@hellohousing.org or mailed to:

Hello Stewardship – City of Menlo Park Refinance
1242 Market Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

A $400 fee will be charged to the homeowner and due to the City of Menlo Park upon closing in order to cover a portion of the costs associated with eligibility screening and preparation of subordination documents.

Any requests for exceptions will have to be reviewed by Hello Housing and the City of Menlo Park.