A foreclosure break for the holidays. Freddie is announcing a suspension to all foreclosure activity from the day before Thanksgiving to January 9, 2009. Here is what Freddie has on its website:

McLean, VA – Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) today announced it has ordered its national network of mortgage servicers and foreclosure attorneys to suspend all foreclosure sales and evictions involving occupied single family and 2-4 unit properties with Freddie Mac-owned mortgages between November 26, 2008 and January 9, 2009. The suspension will help servicers implement the Streamlined Modification Program recently announced by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), HOPE Now and 27 mortgage servicers. The temporary suspension is also expected to give servicers more time to help borrowers avoid foreclosure.

Specifically, Freddie Mac servicers and foreclosure attorneys were told to contact as quickly as possible an estimated 6,000 borrowers with foreclosure sales scheduled between November 26, 2008 and January 9, 2009. If the property is occupied, the servicers and foreclosure attorneys will halt the sale. This temporary suspension of foreclosure sales will not apply to vacant single family properties. Additionally, no evictions will be completed between November 26 and January 9.

“By working closely with FHFA and our servicers, Freddie Mac is on track to help three out of every five troubled borrowers with Freddie Mac-owned loans avoid foreclosure this year,” said Freddie Mac Chief Executive Officer David M. Moffett. “Today’s announcement builds on this momentum and provides a new measure of certainty to many of these families during the holidays.”

Calculated Risk is stating Fannie has also made a similar announcement.

Update 4.23pm : Marketwatch has a good review on this as well. It confirms that Fannie has made a similar announcement. Nugget:

The suspension of foreclosure sales was motivated, in part, by a desire by Freddie Mac to allow mortgage-service firms to take additional time to work with borrowers as part of its Streamlined Modification mortgage program, scheduled to launch on Dec. 15. The loan-modification plan helps homeowners who haven’t been able to make their payments for the previous three months.

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