New Changes in Reverse Mortgage Will be a Big Boost to Seniors Receiving Money
Retirees concerned about their decimated savings should take a second look at reverse mortgages. Beginning November 1, 2008, homeowners everywhere may borrow up to $417,000. Previously, the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program assigned various lending limits, ranging from $200,160 in rural areas to $362,790 in the most expensive housing markets. Existing reverse-mortgage borrowers may be able to refinance their loans to take advantage of the higher lending limit. Plus, the new rules cap the origination fee, previously set at 2% of the loan value, at $6,000. This makes more money available for some of the better things in life.
And, in a major policy change, retirees will be able to use a reverse mortgage to buy a new home starting in 2009. “This provision could really transform the industry,” says Peter Bell, president of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association, in Washington, D.C.
How it works
With a reverse mortgage, homeowners 62 or older can tap the equity in their home in the form of a lump sum, line of credit, monthly payout or a combination of all three. You retain the title to your property and must continue to pay property taxes, insurance premiums and home-maintenance costs. Payouts are tax-free, but the income you receive may make you ineligible for certain state and federal benefits, including Medicaid, which is a major payer of nursing-home costs.
A reverse mortgage need not be repaid until the last homeowner moves out or dies, at which point the home may be sold to pay off the debt. Interest and fees accrue over the lifetime of the loan and could wipe out any remaining equity. But the loan-repayment amount may never exceed the market value of the home; even if home prices decline, your heirs cannot be held responsible for any shortfall.
As baby-boomers move into their retirement years with fewer pensions, inadequate savings and increasing health-care costs, reverse mortgages are well positioned to serve as a financial solution,
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