PRINCIPAL REDUCTION

A reduction in the principal owing on a loan, usually a mortgage, to lessen the outstanding principal balance on qualifying properties that have negative equity. Principal reduction is normally employed to prevent foreclosures on properties, which may be more costly to financial institutions than a reduced principal owed to them. As a result, principal reduction typically requires specific requirements in order for a homeowner to qualify, such as ability to commit to payments, to whom a mortgage payer owes the principal and whether the total balance owing on the mortgage is greater than the value of the property.