Reverse Mortgage - What is it exactly?

Reverse Mortgages are a type of home loan.  Most reverse mortgages are a HUD/FHA insured home loan that allows you to liquidate some of your equity in order to payoff existing mortgages as well as generate additional cash flow.  They are called HECM Loans.  HECM stands for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage.

There are 3 types of HECM Loans.

• Adjustable Rate HECM (the original FHA Reverse Mortgage!)
• Fixed Rate HECM
• HECM For Purchase (either Fixed or Adjustable)

Reverse Mortgages are regulated and insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).  By law, you can never be forced to sell your home of move.  You will always retain the title to your home, and you can still leave your home to your children or whoever you choose.  There is almost no risk of losing your home.  The homeowners obligations are threefold:

• Live in the home as your Primary Residence (at least one spouse must live in the home)
• Keep the home insured and property taxes current.
• Keep the home in good condition.

Who Qualifies?

• Senior Homeowners with enough equity, over the age of 62.
• Most 1 to 4 family Residences qualify.
• FHA Approved Condominiums
• Post 1976 Manufactured Homes on their own lots.*

Some of the best features of an FHA Reverse Mortgage are the methods that you can access the equity in your home!

• Lump Sum - Take all the money you are entitle to in cash/direct deposit at the close of escrow.
• Tenure Payments* - Monthly payments to the homeowner for as long as they live in the home!
• Credit Line* - Leave the funds in a line of credit (that has a guaranteed growth feature!) to be accessed as you need it.
• * Both the Tenure and Credit Line Options are not available on the Fixed Rate Reverse Mortgage.
• Any combination of the options listed above.

As with all other FHA Home Loans, a reverse mortgage is a "Non Recourse" loan.  This means that the lenders only security for repayment of the loan is the home itself.  The lender has no rights to lien any other assets of the borrower or their estate.  Only the home itself can be used as the lenders recourse to a foreclosure.  If the home is worth less than the outstanding balance of the reverse mortgage then the lender must go to FHA for reimbursement of any loss.  The loss will not generate any judgements or liens against the borrower or their heirs. 

To see if you or your clients may benefit from a reverse mortgage please email me the following information.  I will not call you unless you ask me to and provide your number, but in order to get you a decent estimate I need the following information.

• Birthdays of all persons on title to the home.
• Home Value.  (if you provide your address I can do a value check for you)
• Current Home Loan and Equity Loans on the property.
• Zip Code

Deborah Nance, Reverse Mortgage Professional for Corona, the Inland Empire and Southern Californa.