Reverse Mortgage News

Reverse Mortgages Can Help Seniors

March 5, 2008

By Jason Alderman, Insight News

More and more seniors unable to keep up with escalating living expenses have begun exploring reverse mortgages, where they draw equity from their paid-off homes and continue living there with no monthly payments.

Although reverse mortgages make sense for some people - especially those on fixed incomes who want to remain in their homes as long as possible - they have complex rules and hefty upfront costs, so look carefully before you leap. Keep these considerations in mind:

You may qualify for a reverse mortgage at age 62 if you've paid off your home and it's your primary residence. The loan amount is determined by a formula based on your home's appraised value, your age, current interest rates, mortgage insurance and applicable fees. Generally, the older you are and the more valuable your home, the greater the available loan.

Unlike regular home equity loans/lines of credit, where you make monthly payments to repay the money you've borrowed, with reverse mortgages you don't need to repay until you move out permanently, sell the property or die. You or your heirs must then repay the borrowed amount or sell the house. Any leftover money goes to you or your estate.

Other key differences from regular home equity loans/lines of credit: Reverse mortgages have no minimum income requirements; the repayment amount never exceeds the home's sale value, so you're never liable for more than you originally borrowed as with a traditional mortgage when the home's value decreases.

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