What Is a Reverse Mortgage Loan?

Reverse Mortgage Meaning

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Reverse Mortgage Definition

A reverse mortgage is a type of home loan that allows homeowners age 62 or older to convert part of their home equity into cash without having to sell their home or make monthly mortgage payments. Here's how it works. Instead of you paying the lender, the lender pays you, either in a lump sum, monthly payments, a line of credit, or some combination thereof.

The loan is repaid when the homeowner sells the home, moves out permanently, or passes away. The most common type is the home equity conversion mortgage, which is insured by the FHA.

Here are some key additional points. You must continue to pay property taxes, homeowners insurance, and maintain the home. You retain ownership of the home. The loan balance grows over time as interest and fees accrue. Heirs can repay the loan usually by selling the home or keep the home by paying off the balance.

Reverse mortgages can be a helpful financial tool for retirees who wanna supplement their income, but they aren't right for everyone. It's important to review the pros and cons with a trusted lender or financial advisor. If you're interested to learn more about reverse mortgages and or all of the options available to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

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Reverse Mortgage Loan Definition Author

Real Estate Contributor

Kristina Morales is the Real Estate Contributor at Loanfully, an online educational resource for borrowers and industry professionals. Kristina is both a licensed mortgage loan originator and real estate agent in the State of Ohio. Inspired by her years of working with buyers and sellers and seeing a need for more consumer education, Kristina created loanfully.com. In addition to real estate sales and mortgage lending, Kristina had an extensive corporate career in banking, treasury and corporate finance. She ended her corporate career as an Assistant Treasurer at a publicly traded oil & gas company in Houston, TX. Kristina obtained her MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and her B.A in Business Management from Ursuline College.

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