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March 9, 2022 Reverse Loans No Comments

Are Reverse Loans Safe?

Reverse loans are highly regulated and the senior consumer is well protected from any type of financial abuse and over the last decade many regulations have been put into place which makes a reverse loan a very safe option for seniors to use.

Before anyone can start the loan process, they must complete HUD Counseling with an approved Counseling agency and they can ask questions and discuss their concerns with the counselor.

A list is provided to the potential borrower with a proposal provided by the Loan Officer that offer many counseling agencies for them to chose from.

All fees are disclosed in the proposal, and can be discussed with the Loan Officer. Along with federal regulations and disclosures, each state has their own set as well.

Spouses who are under the minimum age 62 will be able to remain in their home if the older borrowing spouse predeceases them, and no longer have to worry about selling and moving out of their home.

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Seniors are worried about out-living their money, and with medical expenses, care giving costs, utilities, food and other monthly expenses, funds from a reverse loan can make life easier and certainly remove the stress and worry about running out of money.

They are a very safe and sensible option on how to use the equity in your home, for funding and preserving your retirement and could be an important part of a financial strategy to make your savings last longer.

February 18, 2021 Reverse Mortgages No Comments

Reverse Mortgage Application

What are the steps to apply for a reverse loan? Is it the same as applying for a traditional mortgage or is it different?

It is just like applying for a regular loan, except the borrower won’t have to make any mortgage payments but they will still be responsible for maintaining their home, paying the property taxes, and Homeowners insurance.

The loan application is standard, but there are many lender, state, and federal disclosures to sign in the application package. It does require quite a few signatures and a complete copy of it is left with the applicants to save and review.

Along with the signed application, copies of bank statements, Social Security card, Drivers License, Declaration page for Homeowners insurance, Trust ( if there is one), and any mortgage statements for the property, plus a signed HUD Counseling Certificate.

The file and documents are sent to a loan processor, Escrow is opened and a Title Policy is ordered, along with an order for an appraisal to be scheduled.

When the loan processor has all the necessary items to make the file complete, it is sent to a Lender for Underwriting.

They review it and make sure it is complete prior to giving it an approval. Sometimes they may request a few additional items, but nothing that is unusual.

The next step is to order the loan documents and coordinate with Escrow, assign a Notary to meet with the clients and have them sign the documents.

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The documents are returned to the Closing Department of the Lender, they review them for all signatures, communicate with Escrow to finalize closing figures and after the 3-day Right of Recession, the loan funds and closes.

The entire process takes approximately 45 days as long as the borrower has provided all of the necessary documents that are needed for the file.

Appraisals can cause a delay, or issues with the Title of the property, and sometimes the lack of cooperation from the borrower will cause the loan to take longer to complete.

Applying for a reverse loan is generally not difficult and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

January 21, 2021 Reverse Loans No Comments

Higher Reverse Loan Amounts

Effective this month and year, the HUD Lending Limits for FHA Reverse loans were increased from $765,600 to $822,375.00

This is quite a large increase over previous years and could possibly make a difference for senior borrowers who will now have more access to their home’s equity, than they would have had last year in 2020.

The Lending Limit caps a home’s value at this figure, even if a property is worth more, the reverse loan amount will always be calculated on the Lending Limit or the appraised value of the home, whichever is less and the age(s) of the youngest borrower.

For some seniors, this increase can make it now possible to do the loan, because the higher value will possibly provide them a larger loan amount that can pay off an existing mortgage with a high balance, whereas previously, the loan may have been not been adequate enough for refinancing an existing mortgage.

Mortgage interest rates are at the lowest they have ever previously been, and that includes the interest rates on reverse loans, too. And in addition to very low rates, home values have increased substantially, creating more equity for many homeowners.

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Whether it is Fixed loan or a Line of Credit, FHA HECM, or one of the Jumbo reverse loans, now is the best time to apply for one,take advantage of low interest rates, and also the increased value of your home.

Use a reverse loan to increase your cash flow and create a safety net for the future, and have funds for unplanned expenses, and gain peace of mind.

November 4, 2020 Reverse Mortgages No Comments

Reverse Loan; Fixed or Adjustable?

Reverse loans offer many choices to senior borrowers, but it can be confusing to decide which one to use because they are different from traditional mortgages, no mortgage payments are required and they are easier to qualify for on a fixed income.

And they also do not have a loan term. Reverse loans are still a mortgage, but unlike what we are all accustomed to. They are different, but similar in that both are liens against the subject property.

In the past when applying for a mortgage to buy a home or refinance, the most popular one was the Fixed rate, because you always knew what your mortgage payment would be, unlike an Adjustable Rate Loan where it can change and possibly increase over time.

And everyone always shops for the lowest interest rate, but that meant you had to pay more Points to get a low interest rate, but if you chose a higher rate the Points would decrease, or possibly be a “Zero” Point loan.

However, with a reverse loan, it is entirely different. There are no Points, but an Origination fee and sometimes, there isn’t any fee at all.

The other difference is how the selected interest rate determines how much money you will receive from a reverse loan. Sometimes the lower interest rates provide less money, and cost more, but if the loan is being used to pay off an existing mortgage and freeing up more cash flow, then that would be a consideration.

And then there is the question whether or not to chose a Fixed interest rate or the HECM Line-of-Credit. is the borrower paying off a large mortgage? Then the Fixed rate might be the best choice.

But if there is a small mortgage or none at all, then the HECM Line-of-Credit would be the preferable choice, as it will give the borrower more flexibility with their funds, plus it has a “growth” feature that will provide additional funds in the future.

Anyone reading this is most likely thinking, it’s confusing. And it is. And that is exactly why it is important to meet with a Reverse Loan Consultant who can provide you with a personalized proposal and eliminate some of the confusion.

In the midst of Covid-19 and the uncertainty of the future, more seniors are now actively investigating the benefits of a reverse mortgage and many have applied for their own loan to preserve their savings and have a financial “safety net”.

And maybe you should, too.

August 26, 2020 Purchasing a home No Comments

Buying a Home

Mortgage interest rates are so low, the lowest they have ever been having caused Americans to rush into the very competitive Real Estate market and buy homes to take advantage of the interest rates as quickly as they can locate a property to purchase.

If you are a senior, you may be considering selling a large home that has become a burden in maintenance for you or no longer suits your lifestyle, and have started to look at Listings of homes in your area before you decide if you want to stay where you are or sell your home and move.

If you decide that you are ready to make a change and maybe you are considering moving into a 55+ community, a new Tract development, or a previously owned home, you can apply for a reverse loan rather than traditional financing.

A reverse loan is easier to qualify for, you will not have to be concerned about being approved using Debt to Income ratios or FICO scores. The Title will be in your name, you will be its owner, not the Lender.

And the best news? You will not have any mortgage payments.

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Becoming approved for a reverse loan is much less difficult. Generally, when a reverse loan is used to purchase a new home, the buyer will put down approximately 50% of the sales price. Obviously the funds would come from the sale of their current home.

Find out early in your “search” how much you could be pre-approved for and receive a letter from a reverse loan lender ( me), that will help you to leverage your offer and “seal the deal”.

Contact me and we can chat about it and I will provide you with information to help you work with a Realtor and answer your questions on how to get started.