Why You Should Consider Getting A Reverse Mortgage

A few years ago, if you had told someone that you had a reverse mortgage, you would have gotten a look that said, “Oh, I’m sorry you had to take one of those.” It was considered a product of the destitute. Today, you are more likely to have a conversation of curiosity. People will want to know what you think about the experience.
It’s true. Reverse mortgages have gone mainstream. They are enjoying unprecedented popularity, and not only among those who “need” the money. Seniors are now using reverse mortgages to help pay for the “wants” in their retirement years. As of 2007 more than 300,000 senior have used the FHA HECM program to tap the equity in their homes. Reverse mortgages are growing by leaps and bounds every year and are now the fastest growing segment of the mortgage industry. Indeed, as education about the real benefits of the reverse mortgage has spread, the informed senior as well as their advisors, have embraced this innovative product.
The reverse mortgage, a loan product that gives homeowners age 62 and over the ability to tap a portion of the equity in their primary residence without having to sell the property or take on a new mortgage payment, is here to stay. Although the reverse mortgage has existed for many years (the first one done in America was back in the 1960′s), the structure and safeguards of the product today have made it an attractive way for many seniors to finance those golden years.
In a nutshell, the reverse mortgage can provide equity to borrowers who qualify for as long as they live in the home. The borrower controls how the funds are taken- either in a lump sum, monthly allowance, line of credit, or any combination of the three. So for example, if a senior wants to eliminate some debt, receive a monthly check, and have some funds in reserve for future needs, the reverse mortgage can satisfy all of these. If there is a mortgage or home equity loan/line on the property, it must be paid off when the reverse mortgage is taken. For many, simply having this mortgage payment “go away” is enough to make a big difference in their monthly budget. If a senior is currently making a home equity loan payment of $300.00 each month, that $300.00 can now be put toward other monthly obligations or expenses such as prescription medications.
The amount of reverse mortgage funds available to a senior homeowner is based on several factors. First, the age of the youngest applicant is used. Of course, the minimum age is 62. In addition, the home value, as determined by an appraisal is taken into account. The location of the property (FHA maximum lending limits vary by county) is another factor Lastly, the current interest rates (depending on which product is selected) is the used in the calculation. These pieces of the puzzle will determine the amount of reverse mortgage proceeds the senior homeowner can take. If there is an existing mortgage or any type of lien, it must be paid in full at the time the reverse is taken. Other than that, the use of the funds is determined by the homeowner. And the funds are tax-free (it’s just equity) which makes the reverse mortgage the best option for many of today’s informed seniors.
Just what do seniors use reverse mortgage funds for? The answer to that question is as varied as the borrowers themselves. Some common uses include medical bills, prescription medication expenses and co-pays, real estate taxes, upkeep on the property, and supplementing current monthly income. With nearly 90% of seniors in our country relying on Social Security in some part to meet monthly expenses, proceeds from a reverse mortgage can meet a real need. These uses for reverse proceeds mentioned here represent “needs” that seniors have. But there are many who are using the reverse mortgage to actually enhance their quality of life during their retirement years.
More and more seniors are taking reverse mortgage proceeds and using these funds for travel, purchasing a motor home, gifts to children, funding grandchildrens’ college education, and charitable giving. Some are even putting this equity to use in the purchase of a vacation property or second home. Home improvement or modifying the home to meet the seniors’ needs is another use for reverse mortgage funds that has increases recently. Instead of moving out of the home and taking a one level apartment for instance, a certified aging in place specialist contractor (CAPS) can be called in and make recommendations on how the home can be modified to allow the senior to remain in the home in comfort.
Clearly the uses for reverse mortgage funds are as many and varied as the seniors themselves. As the program continues to grow in popularity, more and more ways to put that stored up equity to good use are sure to evolve. One thing is for certain, the reverse mortgage is here to stay and that is good news for both seniors and their families.

Reverse Mortgages = Journalistic Opportunism

On July 5th 2008, Robert Powell of the Wall Street Journal online posted an article which quotes the Chief Executive of The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Mary Schapiro, entitled Three Warnings for Hard Times: Beware of Strategies That Put Nest Egg at Risk.
I really must admit that when I first read the title I thought, Here we go again, another article by another journalist knocking reverse mortgages. As I started to read and I saw the quoted expert, and as an individual who has been a mortgage banker for 32 years and has worked closely with many Wall Street investment firms for that last 10, I started to think that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority had to be a recent attempt at stopping the bleeding as obviously there was no one of any authority who had truly been regulating the financial industry for a while!
I remember thinking that securities firms such as Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs and countless other securities firms that engaged in the activities resulting in the sub-prime and Alt A debacle that has left this country in the worst credit crunch in most working peoples lives could have been avoided had a Regulatory Agency taken just a slight glance at the product these companies were encouraging lenders to fund and then securitizing to sell to unknowing investors.
I thought, this is the expert source Mr. Powell uses to spread yet one more wave of panic about reverse mortgages through the market place? Let’s face it, reverse mortgages are a popular subject these days and anything having to do with people’s financial situation is also newsworthy so I decided to find out exactly what FINRA was all about and what they actually said.
First I went to the FINRA website and did some research on Mary Schapiro, the individual quoted in the article. Ms. Schapiro has a very impressive resume. So after reading the article and seeing the excellent credentials of the Chief Executive of FINRA, Mary Schapiro, I wondered, how could the article be so misleading? Because the first bullet point in the article says that if you take a lump sum, it could affect you or your spouse’s eligibility for some programs such as Medicaid and left the statement there. That’s a true statement under some circumstances.
If you aren’t paying off an existing mortgage with that lump sum and you have a large amount of cash, then it could affect some need-based programs. But they don’t tell you that if you have an existing payment that you replace and there is no cash left over, that lump sum has no effect on programs but could permanently end the burden of monthly mortgage payments and improve the borrower’s quality of life.
They don’t tell you that there are many options to obtain the money which helps borrowers with their lives if they are struggling, other than the lump-sum option. They don’t tell you that every borrower is encouraged to seek competent financial advice pertaining to their circumstances and are required to go through HUD approved counseling before any services can be ordered on their behalf.
In the FINRA announcement of June 26, 2008, FINRA states that Whether the decision is right for you may ultimately depend on a number of factors your health, your spouse’s health, other sources of income, the reason you’re tapping your home equity, when you do it, and how wisely you use your home proceeds. Then they warn that borrowers should also beware of broader financial impacts of the decision.
All sound advice but not exactly the reverse drawback that the author throws out. Next, the author, Robert Powell tells you depending on the laws of your state, you may not have the same protection against creditors. Talk about vague threats! How many states will this affect and what creditors? What type of debts, and again, are they referring to excess cash if the borrower has a large amount of unpaid debts and they take a large sum of cash, put it in the bank and then creditors seek payment? Are they referring to potential future creditors? This is a terrible way to put fear into the hearts of senior borrowers.
I didn’t know to which specific creditors the author, was referring but with my admittedly limited legal knowledge, I knew most creditors can seek judgments which can be filed against properties anyway so this confused me. The FINRA announcement specifically states that depending on the laws of your state, a reverse mortgage may not enjoy the same home-equity protection and that there may be a loss of a homestead exclusion. As of this writing, I am unaware of any such losses and am planning on researching this further as neither FINRA nor the author used any state as an example of where this could possibly happen.
Powell’s third and final drawback is that a reverse mortgage isn’t the right choice if you want to leave the house to your heirs. WHAT?! A reverse mortgage does not affect what you do with the property after death. Heirs still inherit the property according to the wishes of the property owner.
If Mr. Powell is trying to state that because the senior homeowner will be using a portion of the equity for their daily lives then, it is true. A reverse mortgage is known as a reverse mortgage because it operates in a reverse manner as a normal, forward mortgage it is a rising debt falling equity loan as opposed to the typical rising equity falling debt loan. What this means is that the balance does rise on a reverse mortgage, but those funds are utilized by the individuals who were responsible for paying down that loan in the first place to allow them to age in dignity and in place.
This statement did come directly from the FINRA announcement so I think that both the author and FINRA should have explained that there is no problem leaving the home to your heirs, if it is more important to leave a property that is free and clear of a mortgage encumbrance than for the senior homeowner to extract equity for living expenses, then by all means, I would not encourage the borrower to take out a mortgage against the property. But then again, I would not encourage any borrower to take out any loan they did not need, reverse mortgage or otherwise.
Obviously neither Mr. Powell nor FINRA has ever sat across a table from a borrower or a couple who couldn’t meet their monthly obligations during these times of rising costs, they never talked to borrowers who had $ 25 left in their account on the fifteenth of the month and had to figure out a way to make ends meet for the remainder of the month until they received their next check, and they certainly never sat down with senior borrowers talked into an option arm by an unscrupulous lender (selling to poorly supervised Wall Street Securities Firms) who are now losing their home because they can’t make the new rising payments. We have had more than a dozen such cases in our small company alone, sadly, 5 of which we were unable to help. As a mortgage banker you could say that I have a stake in making sure that people continue to want to take out reverse mortgages.
But as a man who has sat across the table from senior borrowers who have welled up with tears when you have told them that they were done and never had to make another payment for as long as they lived in their home, it’s aggravating to read accounts like this from those who haven’t been there and send out a message that could confuse or scare off someone who could really use this instrument with a half-truth.
As a person who has seen borrowers who did not qualify for a reverse mortgage because they owed too much due to falling values, etc, and watched them weep openly when you had to tell them they could not get the reverse mortgage, it’s infuriating to read someone flippantly suggest that you might want to downsize in a market where real estate is not selling and go rent which indicates to a senior borrower who has lived in their home sometimes for 20, 30, 40 years or more that you think they can just pick up and move and give up the home they love and where they feel comfortable.
And yes, reverse mortgages are expensive loans and not for everyone, But has anyone figured out the costs of selling a home and relocating lately, not to mention what it does to you psychologically, especially when it’s something you’re forced to do? And finally, it just makes me sad when I see an article where people don’t even consider the value of the senior borrower and their ability to age in place and dignity.
These people worked hard for their homes and I do agree with the premise that a reverse mortgage is not right for all people. The last thing I would want to see is someone getting a loan, any loan, that is not right for them. We counsel borrowers on the costs of reverse mortgages every day and if Mr. Powell wants to suggest that family members stay involved with senior borrowers contemplating a reverse mortgage due to the costs involved and the other financial implications, I would be the first to applaud his efforts.
When you read the entire FINRA announcement, it doesn’t say not to get a reverse mortgage, it says that the bottom line is that all options including downsizing, selling and renting, consolidating debts, looking into other government assistance programs and seeking help from children or other heirs may be less expensive or lower cost ways to address your needs.
I would agree with the FINRA assessment, but the senior borrowers with whom I’ve worked loved their homes and don’t want to move and shouldn’t have to if they’ve worked all their lives to build up the equity and that equity can provide a way for them to stay in the home. Many have had their children living with them because they themselves have been forced to move in with their senior parents and often are not in a position to help with anything in this economy.
I just hate to see people given wrong or half the facts to support a journalistic position that is popular at the time.

A Reverse Mortgage Discussion

Reverse mortgages are a way for seniors aged 62 and above to take cash out of their house. The equity the senior has built up over the years can be used beneficially to aid in their retirement. Here are some thoughts and ramblings about reverse mortgages that you may find helpful.

Seniors can choose to take the cash from a reverse mortgage as a lump sum, in a line of credit or in monthly payments. If

they choose a lump sum, for example, Forer said that they could pay to retrofit their home to make kitchens and bathrooms

safer and more accessible? Especially important to those who are becoming frail and in danger of falling. As one grows older

all the appliances etc. can be fitted differently to help in everyday functioning. Seniors, in a very personal way, know that

staying in their home, close to their memories and in a familiar neighborhood, can be very important factor in enjoying

retirement. Securing a Reverse Mortgage enables a senior to do that, and many companies are designed specifically to assist

seniors with reverse mortgage needs. Senior home ownership and life expectancy rates are climbing steadily and therefore more

seniors are qualifying for reverse mortgages. Accordingly, now is the ideal time to establish consumer protections so that as

the reverse mortgage industry grows, current pitfalls and hazards for consumers do not expand as well. The national reverse

mortgage lenders association does that.

When deciding what options to pursue with a reverse mortgage make sure you check the NRMLA site which forbids fraudulent

activities. Here is a direct quote from them “National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) is the national voice of

the reverse mortgage industry, serving as an educational resource, policy advocate and public affairs center for lenders and

related professionals. NRMLA was established in 1997 to enhance the professionalism of the reverse mortgage business. Our

mission is to educate consumers about the pros and cons of reverse mortgages, to train lenders to be sensitive to clients’

needs, to enforce our Code of Conduct and Best Practices, and to promote reverse mortgages in the news media.”

Seniors actively considering a reverse mortgage could certainly find value in comparing their personal expectations with the

experiences of actual borrowers. Most HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage) borrowers are estimating their future ability

(or desire) to

Finding Honest Reverse Mortgage Companies

With millions of Americans now at or approaching retirement age, the problems of failed pensions, inadequate social security, and escalating health insurance costs are threatening to cause a massive increase in the number of seniors who will be struggling to stay financially afloat during their golden years. Many of these people have turned to reverse mortgages as ways to supplement their retirement incomes, and if you are thinking of joining their ranks, you need to be sure your reverse mortgage is handled by a reputable lender.
Wherever there is money, there are people trying to steal it, and the reverse mortgage market is no different. It’s far from unusual for fraudulent reverse mortgage companies to demand huge up front application fees from their customers, all the time knowing that they have no intention of accepting them as borrowers.The NRMLA
One sign that you might be dealing with shady reverse mortgage companies is if you are being asked to pay a large amount, say 5%, of the amount you expect to borrow, as an application fee. If you find yourself in that position, the first thing you should do is research the backgrounds of the reverse mortgage companies in question with the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association.
The NRMLA has been working to protect the interests of reverse mortgage applicants since 1997, and its website identifies approved reverse mortgage companies according to their states. The Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, also has a website with information on various reverse mortgage companies. Both sites offer their resources at no charge.
The NRMLA website, in particular, is a terrific resource for those seeking information on reverse mortgage companies. It also gives you all the details involved in the process of applying for your reverse mortgage, and even offers a calculator which will tell you, based on the current market value of your home, how much money a reverse mortgage can bring your way.The Code Of Conduct
Even better, the NRMLA has established a Code of Conduct which all its member reverse mortgage companies are required to honor. The Code of Conduct is written to protect the specific needs of older homeowners, and to keep member lenders from trying to use the applicants’ lack of knowledge concerning reverse mortgages against them
The NRMLA has also drawn up a Code of Conduct to which any reverse mortgage companies must agree before being listed on the NMRLA site as an approved lender. Their Code of Conduct requires that approved reverse mortgage companies be sensitive to the unique needs of senior citizens, and do nothing to take advantage of their unfamiliarity with the reverse mortgage process.
When you’ve spent some time looking over your financial options for retirement, and have become comfortable with the idea of a reverse mortgage, head for the NRMLA site to look for the approved reverse mortgage companies in your area. When you have settled on the lenders nearest your home, use the contact information provided on the site to set up in-person appointments. And if you can find people who have already been through the reverse mortgage process, and will share their experiences with you, so much the better!

Reverse Mortgage Wholesale Loans: Where Your Money Comes From

A reverse mortgage wholesale product is not directly available to you as an applicant for a reverse mortgage. It is sold to a lender at a discounted (wholesale) interest rate, and the lender then offers it to you after adding points to the rate.Sources Of Reverse Mortgage Wholesale Loans
There are only three organizations who sell reverse mortgage wholesale products; Fannie Mae; the Federal Housing Authority (FHA); and the Financial Freedom Cash Account. The loans from each of these entities vary in their available payment alternatives.
The FHA reverse mortgage wholesale product is called the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, or HECM. The maximum you may borrow against your home in this program is about $360,000, but your limit will depend on your home’s location. The HECM is the reverse mortgage wholesale product underlying over 90% of all US reverse mortgages.
Both the FHA and HUD–the Department of Housing and Urban Development–guarantee FHA reverse mortgage wholesale loans. The guarantee means that the borrower is assured of getting the amount promised, and that the lender is assured of getting the entire principal and accrued interest when the loan is terminated, even if the home is sold for less than that amount.
Fannie Mae guarantees its Homekeeper reverse mortgage wholesale loans, which will allow you to take up to $417,00, and is somewhat unusual in that Fannie Mae allows you to use the proceeds from your existing home to purchase a less expensive one. Although Fannie Mae is not run by the Federal Government, the amount of business they do, and the strict regulations to which they must adhere make their guarantee of their reverse mortgage wholesale loans as solid as those of the FHA and HUD.
Both FHA and Homekeeper reverse mortgage wholesale loans are available in all fifty states.
Financial Freedom Cash Account reverse mortgage wholesale products from a subsidiary of Shearson Lehman are designed for homeowners wanting to borrow against high-value homes, usually with a minimum appraised value of $500,000. There is no limit to the amount which can be borrowed with a Financial Freedom Cash Account loan, and the loans are privately guaranteed. They are, however, only available in twenty-four states.Where To Find A Reverse Mortgage Lender
Because you, as an applicant for a reverse mortgage, are not eligible to get a reverse mortgage wholesale loan, you should comparison shop among reverse mortgage lenders to find the ones who offer the lowest markups on their products. You can find a list of reliable lenders in your state by doing a search at the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association–NMRLA–website.
Once you start looking for a reverse mortgage wholesale through LLS Financial or any other company, you will quickly start to see a trend. You want to check on how quickly each of these reverse mortgage companies will be able to approve you. Typically a loan takes a couple of weeks to process – but when it comes to a reverse mortgage wholesale you should be able to have your reverse mortgage in hand within twenty four hours

Seven Alternatives To Consider Before Getting A Reverse Mortgage

Reverse mortgages are hot. Baby boom demographics, inadequate retirement funding, and problems in the traditional mortgage market (pushing brokers into alternate products) have combined to make marketing of reverse mortgage products to senior citizen homeowners one of the hottest niches in the mortgage business.
And the effort is paying off for marketers. Federally-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) are the predominant type of reverse mortgage in the U.S. Recently, the number of HECMs originated has averaged about 9,000 per month, more than double the average in 2005. Moreover, about two-thirds of the total HECM reverse mortgages ever issued have been originated in the last two years.
Reverse mortgages are only available to homeowners age 62 and older who have paid off their mortgage or have only a small mortgage balance remaining. The sales pitch for these loans is enticing: tax-free retirement income for as long as you own the home – even for life; no monthly loan payments; no repayments until the home is sold, and payment options flexible enough to meet any need! In many cases a reverse mortgage is the ideal tool for senior homeowners.
But there is one big drawback with reverse mortgages: high up front closing costs that can sometimes reach $20,000 or more. Combined with the regular interest that accrues on the loan balance, the up front costs can make this an extremely expensive way to borrow. To spread these costs out and make the cost of borrowing reasonable, it is imperative that the borrower be confident in their ability to remain in the home for at least 5-7 years and, preferably, longer. Unfortunately, government data shows that most HECMs are paid off in seven years or less.
So, while a reverse mortgage may be a good fit for seniors in many situations, it is always important to carefully explore alternatives to see if a more cost-effective means to achieve your retirement financing goals is available.
We discuss below seven alternatives for you to consider:
1. Intra-Family Loan – Do you have a relative or friend with deep pockets and a good heart? An intra-family reverse mortgage loan can be an excellent way to gain the advantages of a reverse mortgage, but avoid most of the costs. The concept is straightforward: instead of a bank lending you retirement funds in exchange for a lien on the house, structure an arrangement with a relative or friend to lend you the money instead – collateralized with your home, of course. You can avoid most of the up front costs this way and have more flexibility to set interest rates and loan terms. There is even a company called Circle Lending (http://www.circlelending.com/familyadvantage/reverse-mortgage.asp) that specializes in drafting these loans as “official” arms length transactions and then provides monthly loan servicing just as a traditional lender would do.
2. Price Appreciation Agreement – There are also firms that will give you money today in exchange for an “equity-share” in the future appreciation of your home’s value. These programs are usually aimed at higher value homes (over $500,000) and may only be available in areas of the country with a track record of strong property value growth. The benefit of these programs is that you may be able to tap into your equity without the high up front costs of a reverse mortgage. The drawback is that it could cost you substantially more in the long run in the form of foregone home appreciation.
If you think this type of arrangement may be a good fit for you, here are two programs to look into to: Equity Key (http://www.equitykey.com/) and, Rex Agreement (http://www.rexagreement.com/)
3. Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) – As noted, reverse mortgages make most sense if the homeowner is able to remain the home for seven years or more. The reality, however, is that more than one-half of all HECM reverse mortgages terminate in less than seven years. To finance short and intermediate cash needs, a HELOC loan may provide a more cost-effective way to tap into your home equity. With a HELOC, closing costs are generally minor (sometimes zero). The downsides are two-fold: 1) there are monthly loan payments required and, 2) you will likely need to show the lender that you have adequate income to make the required loan payments.
An “interest-only” HELOC loan typically requires monthly payments equal only to the accumulated interest on the amount borrowed to date. With care it is possible to borrow an amount each month that provides cash for living expenses and is adequate to make the monthly interest-only payment. In this way the HELOC mimics a reverse mortgage with interest building up in the loan balance until the loan is repaid when the home is sold.
4. Delay Receipt of Social Security Benefits – The majority of Americans start their (reduced) social security benefit at the earliest possible age (62). While people may feel it is smart to “get the money while you can”, the truth is that Americans are living longer than ever before and the decision to take early social security can cost you several hundred dollars per month for the rest of your life. People in their seventies and eighties often feel a reverse mortgage is needed to close a budget gap – a gap that might not exist if they were receiving full social security benefits.
5. Sell and Downsize or Rent – Using home equity to help pay for retirement is not a new concept. For generations, it was common for elderly homeowners to sell their homes and use the proceeds to buy or rent a smaller, more affordable dwelling. This remains a viable strategy and one of the best methods available to ensure you get full use of your hard earned home equity.
It is sometimes possible to sell your home to an “investor” and who will then rent it back to you. This provides you with needed cash while allowing you to remain in the home. Investors like this type of transaction since they get a “good” tenant who likely will take good care of the property.
6. Deferred Payment Loans – Many states, local governments and nonprofit organizations sponsor loan programs for the benefit of “house rich, cash poor” senior homeowners. Much like reverse mortgages, these programs lend money today that is paid back when the senior homeowner sells the home or dies.
The drawbacks are: 1) the use of loan proceeds is usually restricted to a specific purpose (e.g. home repair, payment of property taxes or special assessments, etc.) and, 2) eligibility may be restricted to seniors qualifying as lower income.
Deferred loan programs often have very low (even zero) closing costs and interest rates. This which makes them an alternative worth looking into before deciding on a reverse mortgage. To find out what deferred loan payment programs are available in your area, contact the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for your region (http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare/Public/Home.asp).
7. Other Assets – Home equity should be viewed as a financial asset on par with CDs, stocks, bonds, cash-value insurance policies or other investments you may own. Before deciding to “cash out” home equity with a reverse mortgage, compare this strategy to other possibilities like selling other financial assets you may own. Stocks and bonds can be turned into cash much more efficiently than home equity can.
Deciding whether to take out a reverse mortgage is an important financial step for both you and you heirs. Be sure to consider the alternatives before making a final decision.

All you Need to Know About the Aarp Reverse Mortgage Page

Do you wonder if a reverse mortgage is the right choice for you? Do you know exactly what a reverse mortgage is? Do you know how to find out more information on a reverse mortgage? These are just a few questions that a lot of people may have about reverse mortgages. The good news is that these questions and more can be answered through the AARP reverse mortgage information page. This webpage can give you the tools that you need to make an informed decision on reverse mortgages. Read on to discover the kind of useful information that you will find on the AARP reverse mortgage page.

The very first thing you will discover is the definition of a reverse mortgage. You should read this carefully so that you are fully aware of what a reverse mortgage is. The more informed that you become the easier it will be to make an intelligent decision. Don’t depend on other people to tell you what you should do, research for yourself.

Another thing that you will find on the AARP reverse mortgage page is an explanation of how a reverse mortgage works. This is a great explanation that is written in plain English and very easy to understand. This will help you become aware of what you are getting into when you apply for a reverse mortgage.

Do you wonder if you are eligible for a reverse mortgage? The AARP reverse mortgage page will give you the information that you need to find out if you are eligible. It will also tell you if your type of home is not eligible. Having this information will save you a lot of time and stress.

A great feature on the AARP reverse mortgage page is the explanation of how you can receive the reverse mortgage payment. Some programs will give you a lump sum, some will give you a monthly cash advance and some programs are set up to do a credit line where you decide how money you want each month. It also will tell you which program gives the largest cash advances.

Be careful when choosing which reverse mortgage program to work with. Some programs will tell you what you can do with the money. For example, some federal programs will only allow you to use the money for home repairs.

The AARP reverse mortgage page will also give you good advice on what you will pay when you get a reverse mortgage. This page will reveal to you who the cheapest lender of a reverse mortgage is in the private sector. Read this carefully to save yourself a ton of money.

As you can see, there is a ton of helpful information on the AARP reverse mortgage webpage. If you are thinking about getting reverse mortgage, study all the information on this page before you make your decision. It will save you a ton of money in the long run.