There is much talk in the finance world about a supposed new service called the reverse mortgage which is designed to ease the burden on seniors when they are a homeowner. While at first glance a reverse mortgage appears to be the answer to a retired homeowner's financial dreams, there are those who would have everyone believe that they are not a good idea. In reality, they can be both good and bad just like many other financial arrangements but their popularity has been a long time coming considering they have been available since 1961.
Probably the biggest reason for their new found popularity is the number of ‘baby boomers' that will be coming up to retirement from 2008 onwards. What this means is that America will have an unprecedented number of people retiring with many having their main asset being their homes and gone are the days when the American worker retired at the age of 62, with a pension and social security, then passing by age 70.
Many people coming up to 60 years of age have either made little provision for their retirement or have decided that traditional financial methods are not worth the effort so they need an additional source of income. The great benefit of a reverse mortgage is it pays out a monthly income but no repayments are made which means the debt just increases whereas with a traditional repayment mortgage, payments are made to lower the amount owed.
As far as the borrower is concerned they will not have to provide proof of any income and the money they have been receiving will be repaid in full when the loan is ready for repayment. People that arrange these reverse mortgages do not need proof of income nor is there a lower limit plus the credit score is not taken into account and the flexibility has helped many retired people in a dire financial situation.
Another huge benefit to reverse mortgages arranged by the government is that the children of the borrowers will not be left with a debt as the lenders can never be owed more than the value of the property irrespective of how much money has been lent or if the value of the home decreases. In some instances where the loan remains unused, a reverse mortgage can be costly but for the vast majority of borrowers it is the best way for them to have a familiar roof over their head for as long as they need it.
This is not a course of action where the advice is given by someone who only helps with reverse mortgages when they have nothing else to do so seek the assistance of a professional. Unlike forward mortgages, fees and rates are regulated by HUD so everyone is on an even playing field, and many mortgage companies often have many more programs available and are not limited only to just the few products that just one bank has to offer.
Many elderly people are worried about bringing up the subject with their children for fear they might believe they are trying to swindle them out of their inheritance but this generally couldn't be farther from the truth. In actual fact, a great deal of pressure is removed from family members who do not have the means to look after their parents so in most instances they are more than happy with the arrangement.
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