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Frequently Asked
Questions
Q.
What is a “reverse” mortgage?
A. A reverse mortgage makes a percentage of the equity
in your home available to you as monthly income or
lump-sum cash, BOTH TAX FREE. NO PAYMENT is required for
as long as you live and maintain the home as your
primary residence.
Q. Who is eligible for a
reverse mortgage?
A. Seniors (age 62+) who own their home can apply for a
reverse mortgage. There are NO complicated credit
requirements and NO income requirements.
Q. How much money can I
get?
A. The amount available to you is determined by a
formula using your age, home value, and current interest
rates. Generally speaking, the higher the age, the
higher the value of the home, and the lower the level of
interest rates, the more money is available.
Q. Is there more than one
reverse mortgage?
A. Yes, there are many choices. The overwhelming
majority of reverse mortgages issued are the FHA
(Federal Housing Administration) “Home Equity Conversion
Mortgage” (HECM). They are federally insured and come
in three versions, the monthly adjustable version, the
annually adjustable version or the fixed rate version.
“FannieMae” (FNMA) offers the “Home Keeper” reverse
mortgage. There are many proprietary programs for
higher valued homes.
Q. Will I have any tax
liability for the reverse mortgage proceeds?
A. Proceeds received from a reverse mortgage are loan
advances and not treated as taxable income. For your
specific situation, we recommend that you consult your
tax advisor.
Q. How safe are FHA
insured reverse mortgages?
A. They are TOTALLY SAFE. You or your heirs retain ALL
ownership rights. The lender NEVER owns your home. It
is impossible to fall behind on payments because there
are none to make. And reverse mortgages are
“non-recourse” mortgages so a debt CANNOT be passed to
your heirs as a result of doing an FHA insured reverse
mortgage.
Q. Can a person ever
loose their home?
A. NEVER. As long as the home remains the
borrower’s primary residence, and like a traditional
mortgage or home equity loan, you keep home insurance
and tax payments current.
Q. Who gets my home after my
death?
A. Your estate does. Your heirs have the CHOICE of
keeping or selling the house. If they decide to sell
the home, the proceeds of the sale would be used to
repay the mortgage, with the remainder going to your
heirs.
Q. Is there any impact on
my Income Tax or my Social Security benefits?
A. NO. Money from a
reverse mortgage is not treated as income, nor does it
affect Social Security. Homeowners on SSI or Medicaid
should observe pertinent rules.
Q. This sounds good.
How can I take a look at my specific situation?
A. You can evaluate the different reverse
mortgages with a no-cost, no-obligation computerized
comparison of the available plans by calling the Toll
Free number at the top of this page. Or fill out the
form to the right to find out more!
Q. Please tell me about
your company.
A. Our entire focus is meeting the reverse mortgage
needs of our senior clientele with professionalism,
sensitivity and respect.
We are here
to provide you with the information you need to make an
informed decision
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