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What is a Reverse Mortgage?


You may have heard your friends and family talking reverse mortgages. There have also been a lot of television commercials offering information about reverse mortgages and reverse mortgage companies. Yet, with all of this talk going on about FHA insured reverse mortgages and what they mean to you, what exactly is a reverse mortgage?

A reversed mortgage is designed specifically for homeowners who are age 62 and older. Through this product, you can receive loan money from your home in the form of a lump sum, regular monthly checks or a line of credit. The money is typically repaid with interest when you sell your house, permanently move away, or pass away.

Reverse mortgages are getting to be more and more common these days. Why? Reverse mortgage loan advances are not taxable, and generally don’t affect your Social Security or Medicare benefits. You retain the title to your home, and you don’t have to make monthly repayments. The loan must be repaid when the last surviving borrower dies, sells the home, or no longer lives in the home as a principal residence. Unlike a regular mortgage, the homeowner makes no payments and all interest is added to the lien on the property.

There are three types of reverse mortgages:

• Single-purpose reverse mortgages, offered by some state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations

• Federally-insured reverse mortgages, known as Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) and backed by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• Proprietary reverse mortgages, private loans that are backed by the companies that develop them.

Single-purpose reverse mortgages are the least expensive option. They are not available everywhere and can be used for only one purpose, which is specified by the government or nonprofit lender. For example, the lender might say the loan may be used only to pay for home repairs, improvements, or property taxes. Most homeowners with low or moderate income can qualify for these loans.

An FHA insured home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) and proprietary reverse mortgages are sometimes more expensive than traditional home loans. That’s important to consider, especially if you plan to stay in your home for just a short time or borrow a small amount. HECM reverses are widely available, have no income or medical requirements, and can be used for any purpose.

Reverse mortgages pay you in a variety of ways. You can receive a lump-sum, periodic payments, a line of credit, or some type of combination. Lump Sum is the easiest. You get the loan balance all at once. Do with it what you will, yet there won’t be more for you tomorrow. If you sign up for a periodic payment plan, you’ll get regular payments. These payments might last for a number of years (10 years, for example), or until your loan comes due (often as a result of your death or your permanently moving out of the home).

If you don’t know exactly how much you’ll spend or how soon you’ll need it, a line of credit may make sense. Some reverse mortgage lines of credit are “growing” lines of credit meaning you may have more and more money available to you as time goes on. Not bad. Can’t decide? You can use a combination of the programs above. For example, you might take a smaller lump sum up front and keep a line of credit for later. This may be a reasonable approach if you need to pay off existing debt with a portion of your reverse mortgage loan.

Reverse mortgages have helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners improve their quality of life in retirement. A Reverse Mortgage can help you retire more comfortably. It can provide you with money when you need it most. No Monthly Mortgage Payments, Easy Qualification, Tax-Free Money and No cash needed for closing costs.